Central South Dakota News

U.S. Senator Mike Rounds recently reintroduced the Returning Education to Our States Act, aiming to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and redirect federal education funds to states as block grants. The bill, initially introduced in November 2024, is designed to preserve existing education funds while removing the department's bureaucracy.

Rounds stated, “We all know that teachers, parents, local school boards and state Departments of Education know what’s best for their students, not bureaucrats in Washington.” He emphasized that the bill would save about $2.2 billion annually in taxpayer money by eliminating the department.

The bill has the support of Senators Jim Banks and Tim Sheehy. Banks remarked, “While the average Dept of Ed bureaucrat makes twice as much as a teacher in Indiana, our national test scores are near historic lows.” He believes the legislation could codify certain executive actions under President Trump.

Sheehy highlighted the issue of declining test scores despite significant education spending. “It’s time to put students first, not bureaucracy,” he said. The goal is to eliminate red tape and ensure education funds are better used at the local level.

Christopher Rufo, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, supported the initiative, claiming the department has been part of a "corrupt ideological spoils system," while Tina Descovich of Moms for Liberty pointed to alarming statistics about current student performance.

Programs currently under the Department of Education would be reassigned to various federal departments, such as the Interior, Treasury, Health and Human Services, among others. The legislation further proposes reducing compliance requirements related to federal accountability, funding management, and teacher certification.

Senator Rounds views this move as a priority shared with President Trump, and is working towards its enactment.