Key Point: “It’s the sort of place where President-elect Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ message resonated – but also where some of his proposed policies could hit hardest, especially his promise to eliminate the Department of Education and slash federal funds to public schools. … Even a slight reduction in those dollars could have devastating effects for students and their families.”

CNN: Teacher layoffs, bigger classes: Potential federal education cuts could hit GOP’s base hardest

By Majlie de Puy Kamp, Casey Tolan, Yahya Abou-Ghazala and Kyung Lah, CNN

• It’s the sort of place where President-elect Donald Trump’s “America First” message resonated – but also where some of his proposed policies could hit hardest, especially his promise to eliminate the Department of Education and slash federal funds to public schools.
  
• Bell County’s school district typically receives 10% of its budget from federal dollars, though it has been higher in recent years due to Covid-19 relief funds. Even a slight reduction in those dollars could have devastating effects for students and their families, said Tom Gambrel, the district’s superintendent. It would mean teacher layoffs, bigger classroom sizes and less attention for their most vulnerable students.
  
• The schools in Bell County provide a lifeline to families in more ways than one. The district is one of the biggest employers in town and is one of the only places where parents can find after-school care. The schools are where kids come to stay warm and where they eat most of their meals. All of Gambrel’s students qualify for free breakfast and lunch and some go hungry if they don’t come to school.
  
• Republicans have long proposed slashing federal education spending: In 2023 House Republicans faced heavy pushback when they proposed an 80% cut to Title I, a program that largely pays teacher salaries in low-income and underserved communities. Last year, they proposed a 25% cut to the same program. 
  
• Experts warn [Project 2025] could end up redirecting funds away from the marginalized communities they were intended for.
  
• The hardest-hit areas in that scenario would be those that overwhelmingly voted Republican in the last election.