News 4: Nevada officials worry federal education cuts harm local schools, students

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by Anthony Ramos

Thu, March 13th 2025 at 6:01 PM

Updated Thu, March 13th 2025 at 8:48 PM

RENO, NEV.— The U.S. Department of Education announced a nearly 50% reduction in its workforce following budget cuts implemented by the Trump administration on Tuesday.

Despite the significant staffing reductions, the department assured that it "will continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking."

Concerns have arisen across Nevada regarding the potential impact on schools and students. Calen Evans, president of the Washoe Education Association, expressed worry about the state's already limited education funding. "The state of Nevada is, you know, again, grossly underfunded when it comes to education. And if we were to lose that portion of the federal funding, that would be catastrophic," said Evans.

Evans highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the cuts, noting potential effects on extracurricular activities, aid assistance, and staffing levels. "The impact of, you know, whether that's extracurriculars, whether that's, you know, Aids assistance, you know, less our ability to hire additional staff to lower class sizes. Right. Those are absolutely all going to be on the table when you're talking about how to balance the budget," he said.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has joined a coalition of states suing the Trump administration over the staffing cuts. "It's unlawful. It's unconstitutional, and it's also reckless," Ford said, emphasizing the broader impact on students' education nationwide. "I understand the importance of education and the cuts and the firings. The mass firings are going to have a deleterious effect on our ability to educate our youth here," he added.

Ford expressed confidence in the legal challenge, stating, "I will meet him in court and I will beat him in court, as we have done every single time this year that we have had a lawsuit."

The Nevada Department of Education responded to the situation with a statement, saying, "The Nevada Department of Education will continue to monitor the reduction in force to understand what, if any, impact these changes in staffing will have on our state. We remain committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure the best outcomes for Nevada’s students."

Email reporter Anthony Ramos at aramos@sbgtv.com. Follow @antramosnews on X and Anthony Ramos on Facebook.