Senator Rounds Proposes Abolishing Education Department

Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) has introduced the 'Returning Education to Our States Act,' aimed at eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and redistributing its responsibilities to other federal agencies, such as the Departments of Interior, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Labor, and State. Rounds argues that the Department has become an 'oversized bureaucracy' since its establishment in 1979, pointing to declining standardized test scores and increasing per-student costs as evidence of its ineffectiveness. He claims that local control is preferable for education, stating that local school boards better understand students' needs than federal bureaucrats. The proposed legislation aligns with President-elect Donald Trump's campaign promise to close the Department, and Rounds expressed optimism about advancing the bill with Republican majorities in Congress. Critics, however, have raised concerns about the potential impacts on education in South Dakota and beyond. If passed, the legislation would require the Department's total abolishment within a year of enactment, along with a detailed transition plan for its programs.