At least four Utah State Board of Education members are calling on their colleagues to approve a drafted letter addressed to President Donald Trump that supports the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education.
“The Utah State Board of Education believes that education is better served at the state and local level,” the letter reads. “Our board supports President Trump’s effort to move money back to the states.”
According to board documents, members Jennie Earl, Cole Kelley, Rod Hall and Joseph Kerry requested that the board consider and adopt the “Letter of Intent,” which is set for a vote on Thursday. The board members did not immediately respond to The Salt Lake Tribune’s request for comment Monday afternoon.
The letter is also addressed to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens and other Utah congressional members.
A USBE spokesperson said in an email that they could not immediately answer The Tribune’s questions, noting that many of the letter’s specifics “may be spoken about and debated in this week’s board meeting.” The board’s bylaws state that at least three members can request to add an agenda item, the spokesperson added.
One of the Education Department’s key roles is providing federal funding to public schools, particularly through Title programs such as Title I, which supports schools with high numbers of economically disadvantaged students.
Many of Utah’s 330 Title I schools depend on this funding, as state contributions often fall short of meeting the requirements of high-need students.
Utah’s public education budget is roughly $8 billion, and federal money accounts for about 11% of that.
While USBE’s letter acknowledges the “importance” of Title programs, it argues the state is “better situated” to distribute the funds.
“It is our request that the federal government allow the Utah State Board of Education to become the stewards of the education resources within the state without federal oversight,” the letter states. “It is our commitment to work with state and local leaders to ensure that the services not only continue, but are accelerated with input from local education experts on the best use of these funds.”
Board Member Sarah Reale said that while USBE has some flexibility in distributing education funds, the Legislature ultimately controls how those dollars are allocated. USBE’s primary financial role is oversight—ensuring that local schools comply with the law in using their funds.
If the Department of Education is abolished, Utah has the budget to replace those funds, Reale said, but she’s skeptical.
“I don’t have the faith and the confidence that the state will allocate dollars appropriately to make sure those underserved students are taken care of,” she said, citing a Republican supermajority in both the Legislature and the state school board.
Reale noted the drafted letter comes two weeks after Gov. Spencer Cox on March 17 publicly supported Trump’s plan to dismantle the Education Department in an opinion piece published in the Washington Examiner, a conservative news outlet based in Washington, D.C.
In the piece, Cox argued that public education should be governed solely by the states, even if the lack of national oversight, as some have argued, may cause some states to fall behind.
Three days later, Trump on March 20 signed a long-expected executive order initiating the teardown of the Education Department. Shortly after, USBE released a statement that said any major changes to the Education Department will require congressional approval and likely face legal challenges.
“Regardless of any changes at the federal level, our mission remains unchanged: providing academic and organizational excellence in Utah education,” the statement said.
