A resolution expressing support for the local public K-12 schools of the United States and condemning any actions that would defund public education or weaken or dismantle the Department of Education.
S. Res. 133 is a non-binding Senate resolution that expresses strong support for local public K-12 schools in the United States and condemns actions that would defund public education or weaken or dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The resolution emphasizes the federal role in promoting equity and opportunity in education, highlighting the critical function of federal funding and programs (such as IDEA, Title I, McKinney-Vento, Title II, Title III, and more) in supporting students with disabilities, low-income students, English learners, rural districts, and other vulnerable groups. It warns against shifting funds to private schooling via vouchers, reducing federal funding, or dismantling or relocating major ED offices, arguing that such moves would disrupt program administration and harm students and communities, particularly those already underserved. As a resolution, it serves to express the Senate’s view and policy stance rather than to create or change law.
Key Points
- 1The Senate strongly supports federal investment in public K-12 schools and in the students and families those schools serve, asserting the Department of Education’s vital role in the public education system.
- 2The resolution asserts that federal investment should not be diverted, including through the use of vouchers, to privately-run K-12 schools.
- 3It condemns any actions that would dismantle or relocate major offices within the Department of Education, dismantle or relocate the Department itself, reduce federal funding for public education, block major federal education grant programs, or shift funding burdens to state and local governments.
- 4The document outlines the essential roles and programs of the ED (as described in the preamble), including support for students with disabilities, English learners, homeless students, rural and low-income students, well-rounded education, career and technical education, school safety, research, civil rights protections, and oversight across a broad portfolio of federal education programs.
- 5It frames ED funding as a longstanding, necessary federal mechanism to promote equity, monitor compliance with civil rights protections, and support schools in implementing standards and services to help all students succeed.