Congresswoman Pou Op-Ed: Schools Cuts Will Be Devastating

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ–09) just published an op-ed in the USA Today Network on the Trump administration’s decision to cut nearly $8 million in federal education funding to public schools in Paterson and Passaic City. The text is below.
 

Trump’s assault on public education arrives in New Jersey

By Congresswoman Nellie Pou

Just a few weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Education abruptly eliminated nearly $8 million in federal funding from eight New Jersey public schools — six in Paterson and two in Passaic. These cuts came with little warning, and their impact will be devastating to schools in Passaic County.

When the decision was made, Paterson Public Schools were given just one week before Christmas to file an appeal — which the district quickly did. But just three days before the New Year, my office was notified that the district’s appeal was denied and the cuts would go into effect at the start of 2026. 

These grants, administered under the Full Service Community Schools program, are vitally important to our schools. For years, they have helped provide basic services including health care, mental health counseling, nutritious food, after-school tutoring, academic support and other programs that keep kids safe and engaged. For example, at Public School 10, students who participated in FSCS after school and/or mentoring programming, compared with non-participating peers, were 9% less chronically absent, experienced fewer absent days and achieved 32% higher scores in math and 31% higher scores in literacy.

But none of that mattered to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who until recently was a top executive at World Wrestling Entertainment, better known as the WWE. 

Paterson and Passaic have been hit very hard

Few schools will be hit harder by the cuts than those in Paterson and Passaic. Despite the Paterson school district’s willingness to remedy any concerns the Trump administration had with its programming, the Education Department refused to engage and has now hung these students and educators out to dry. Phrased differently, McMahon has just slammed a steel chair on our schools and is claiming it as a victory for public education.

At a time when the Education Department has rolled back support to K-12 schools from coast to coast, New Jersey students will now be forced to return to their classrooms with fewer tools to help them succeed, incurring consequences that will be felt for years to come. The president promised to dismantle public education in America, and he is doing exactly that. 

Unfortunately, New Jersey isn’t alone. Two separate court hearings were held in recent weeks to try to stop the loss of $60 million for Illinois after-school programs, including STEM and robotics classes, civic leadership and development programs, financial literacy education and more. These programs were likely destined for underserved and under-resourced communities. The Education Department was founded in large part to bridge these gaps and has now been warped into a blunt weapon to undo generations of growth and progress.

Education should be a sanctuary from political corruption, yet the Trump administration has turned our classrooms and every aspect of American life into a battlefield. 

By slashing these programs and forcing layoffs in school districts across the country, the president and his enablers are not just cutting a budget, they are betraying a fundamental social contract with educators, parents and students alike. 

Why won't Linda McMahon engage?

Make no mistake — these school districts were willing to work with the Trump administration to find a fair path forward to keep this funding. And during my conversations with the Education Department, I repeatedly emphasized this in the case of the Paterson school district. I asked McMahon to meet and work with me, making myself available day and night, to educate her about the harm our students will face with the loss of these funds. Yet despite my coming to the Trump administration in the spirit of bipartisanship and for the sake of our children, McMahon has denied our pleas and has refused to demonstrate the same willingness to come to the table.

Restoring this funding is a moral and educational necessity. But in an administration defined by the decaying of public institutions, we must accept the reality that help is probably not coming and this funding will likely not be restored, at least not without a fight.

In just a few weeks, we will mark the first year of the second Trump presidency. In just one year, we have seen the dismantling of countless federal programs and agencies — and the firing of tens of thousands of dedicated civil servants. The impacts are mounting, and for students across the country, the consequences are here. 

This administration stood by while families faced hunger during a shutdown. They remained silent as health care premiums and prices skyrocketed. By forcing our students to return to classrooms with fewer tools and less support, they are choosing to let public education fail.

This is not a series of isolated budget cuts; it is a calculated decision to let our public infrastructure deteriorate in ways that will take years to reverse.

I remain vigilant. We cannot let our public institutions vanish into the ether of a permanent crisis. I will use every tool I have in Congress to protect our democracy and restore the tools our students need to thrive. Our children’s future is not a line item to be slashed; it is a promise we are duty-bound to keep.

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