As Trump touted his new executive order to shutter the Department of Education, Indiana Governor Mike Braun looked on in clear agreement. Conservatives like Braun have long advocated for returning federal education power back to the states. But what would that actually look like?

Schools will not suddenly disappear.

Regardless of how people feel about the change, it’s important to be rational and state the obvious: school isn’t going anywhere. Most funding for schools already comes from states through headcounts and property taxes. Schools existed long before the creation of the Department of Education.

However, low-income schools and students could feel the impact—specifically through Title I funding, which falls exclusively under federal control. The Trump administration has claimed these funds will be preserved, but concerns remain about potential cuts. If that happens, low-income students could feel the crunch.

Students with disabilities may also see changes as services shift to a different agency. Trump has already announced that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will become a key responsibility of the Department of Health and Human Services, now led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Critics question whether HHS can effectively oversee special education services, though supporters note that IDEA predates the Department of Education.

Civil rights enforcement is also expected to shift. Officials will likely move the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice—a change critics say could slow investigations. Additionally, federal funding has often been used to push states to comply with civil rights mandates, a practice likely to shift under a more state-centered model. Recently, the Office for Civil Rights has already been used to enforce anti-DEI mandates, a trend many expect to continue no matter which agency is in charge.

Student loans and college funding are also on the move. The Trump administration plans to transfer these functions to the Small Business Administration (SBA) but insists that funding and grants will continue. Still, critics are wary. The SBA recently announced workforce cuts of nearly 50%, yet it will now take on the massive student loan portfolio in addition to its existing responsibilities.

The key takeaway is that the Trump administration is signaling that the services people expect from the Department of Education aren’t disappearing. Instead, they claim these functions will operate more efficiently under other agencies. Still, the main concern among critics is that, during an era of massive government contraction, these programs could be neglected. The truth is, much remains to be seen. Critics have a sense of where the new system might bend or break, but after 45 years with a dedicated Department of Education, few in government today have any real experience managing education policy without it.

It’s also worth noting that fully eliminating the department would require congressional approval which seems unlikely with the current congressional balance.