ST. LOUIS—Missouri and Illinois are bracing for possible funding cuts after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to  shut down parts of the U.S. Dept. of Education.

Missouri

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) says it's federal funding representes 27% of its $8.7 billion Fiscal Year 2025 budget. Earlier this month, DESE told Spectrum News it was waiting for futher guidance from the U.S. Dept. of Education to know how, if any, changes would impact funds and programs administered by the agency.

A DESE spokesperson explained the largest amounts of federal funding are for: 

  • USDA: Child Nutrition - $375,265,200
  • USED: Title I, Part A -$279,251,695
  • USED: IDEA Part B Special Education - $253,723,155
  • DHHS ACF: Child Care and Development Block Grant - $223,508,819
  • USED: Adult Education and Family Literacy - $38,854,130
  • USED: Vocational Rehabilitation Services - $36,345,040


DESE says of that federal funding for 2025, 11.05% are remaining federal COVID relief funds yet to be spent and 16.43% represent other federal funds to support various programs and services.

Illinois

Gov. JB Pritzker issued a statement saying in part “eliminating the Department of Education will likely have harsh and immediate impacts on Illinois’ students." He added it would "set back" schools and students in his state by creating "uncertainty" about the federal administration due to potential cuts to:

  • Federal Education Funding: Public schools in Illinois are expecting $3.56 billion in federal funds in Fiscal Year 2025 serving 1.8 million students, accounting for $1,923 per student. ​ 
  • Special Education Funding: Illinois is expecting to use $1.33 billion in federal funding in Fiscal Year 2025 to support more than 295,000 children receiving special education services. 
  • Pell Grants: In the 2023-2024 academic year, more than 225,000 students in Illinois received over $1 billion in Pell Grants to assist with educational expenses. Pell Grants help make college more affordable and accessible for students from low-income households, contributing to the economic mobility of students and families across our state. 
  • Student Loan Programs: Illinois has 1.6 million student loan borrowers who rely on the federal government to ensure affordable monthly payments and timely processing of applicable loan forgiveness programs. Dismantling the Department of Education threatens to send Illinois’ most vulnerable borrowers into default.