Houston teachers' union concerned about Department of Education cuts

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A judge ordered federal workers who've been let go by the Trump administration to be reinstated. That includes the Department of Education.

The Trump administration laid off half the Education Department's workforce on Tuesday night.

The teachers' union here in Houston says those workers are crucial when it comes to funding school districts.

Union president Jackie Anderson says many employees from the department are ones that help with funding that goes to school districts. Those funds go to things like Pell grants, student loans, financial aid, speech and occupational therapy, and special education programs.

So, how much do school districts rely on federal funding? Our ABC News team looked at some of the larger ones in the Houston area.

In the 2021-2022 school year, HISD received 23% of its revenue from the DOE, Cy-Fair ISD received 16%, and Fort Bend received 15%.

This is what President Trump said about education this week. "We want education to be moved back, where the states run education, where the parents of the children will be running education, where governors that are doing a very good job will be running education," he said.

If layoffs go into effect and federal funding shrinks, schools, which critics say are already underfunded by the state, will feel long-term effects.

"I think the students are being set up for failure. The things that they would have gotten to ensure success are for teachers.... even professional development for teachers comes from the Department of Education. Teacher prep programs, that comes from the Department of Education, so teachers can provide high-quality instruction. Who is going to provide that now?" Anderson said.

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