President Trump has proposed a budget that would significantly reduce federal funds for public education.
If it’s adopted intact, K-12 funding would be cut $4.5 billion for fiscal 2026, which begins Oct. 1. The budget would also change the nature of Title 1 and special education assistance, making them more like block grants to states, giving states greater flexibility to decide how to use the money.
The proposal cuts the budget for the U.S. Department of Education by $12 billion, down roughly 15% from 2025. The White House document states that the budget “continues the process of shutting down the Department of Education.”
An analysis by the Education Law Center and New York University shows the proposed cuts for the 15 school districts in Cape May County would total $1,576,718.
The Education Law Center report says the federal cuts would focus on programs that support students who are learning English, and on afterschool and summer programs, mental health services, programs designed to improve teacher effectiveness, art and technology classes, and emergency preparedness funding.
The budget proposal also includes a 35% reduction for the Education Department Office of Civil Rights and it zeros out budgets for Teacher Quality Partnership grants often used to diversify the teacher workforce.
Charter schools would be major beneficiaries of the new federal budget. The proposal earmarks $60 million for charter schools, which the budget document says “have a proven track record of improving students’ academic achievement.” It adds that charter schools create more local options while expanding parental choice.
According to an interactive tool developed by the law center and NYU, here are reductions projected for each school district in Cape May County:
Avalon/Stone Harbor | $13,704 |
Cape May City | $14,510 |
County Technical School | $161,219 |
County Special Services School | $95,925 |
Dennis Township | $59,651 |
Lower Cape May Regional | $83,028 |
Lower Township | $139,454 |
Middle Township | $202,329 |
North Wildwood | $12,091 |
Ocean City | $80,609 |
Upper Township | $74,967 |
West Cape May | $33,050 |
Wildwood Crest | $20,958 |
Wildwood | $564,265 |
Woodbine | $20,958 |
Total | $1,576,718 |
Many things can happen to numbers in the federal budget between now and when it’s enacted. These numbers are what appear in the law center report. Readers interested in searching through the district-specific tool can do so here.