As the future of federal funding is complicated by the Trump administration’s plans to dissolve the Department of Education, there is some uncertainty about the future of Central’s Title I and federal Special Education funding.  

Principal Dionne Kirksey and Central Special Education Department Head Brandy Klipfel said the state of funding for next school year is uncertain, but that they are focusing on what they can control right now. 

In April, the Department of Education required school districts to either sign a letter certifying that they do not have DEI programs or practices within their schools or lose their federal funding. Judges blocked this requirement, and Omaha Public Schools signed it before it was blocked. The Trump administration has also cut almost half of the Department of Education’s employees. 

Central’s Title I funding helps to pay for teachers, bilingual liaisons, counselors, nurses, a Title I coordinator, training for teachers, Promethean boards, laptops, planners, Stylebooks, keyboards, Apple pencils, high-interest books, calculators, Padlet licenses, Quizlet licenses and IXL. 

OPS’s Title I budget this school year was $29,412,376. Federal funding only accounts for around 8% of schools’ funding on average, because public education is mostly funded by local taxpayer dollars and the states. 

However, federal funding is often used to support schools with low-income, rural, migrant, Black, Indigenous or English Learner populations through programs such as Title I and Indian Education grants. Central received $1,041,857 in Title I funds this school year. There are 76 OPS schools receiving Title I funding, including all the high schools besides Westview. 

Kirksey said it is “too early” to say whether Central will continue to have its federal funding next year and what would happen if it does not. 

“I don’t even want to think about that,” Kirksey said. “…Schools have the obligation to educate children. To educate children, they need funding. And when funding changes, that impacts students.” 

Additionally, when responding to whether the Central High School Foundation would assist the school in case of lost funding, Executive Director Michele Roberts said, “We have and will continue to step in and provide financial assistance to ensure that Central continues to offer a high-quality education to all its students.” 

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Kirksey said. “…I choose to show up because it’s not about me. It’s about (the students), and I still believe that you will be better because you chose a public education.” 

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Department of Education also helps grant a “free, appropriate” education for students with disabilities. Funding goes towards the hiring of paraprofessionals, teacher training and other services. Students with 504 plans and individualized education programs (IEPs) are also served by IDEA, and Klipfel said it is “on the table” that those students would be impacted by federal funding changes. Klipfel said paraprofessional staff is what she fears might be lost if federal funding is cut, but that she does not know what she would do in that situation and that the Special Education program may be able to receive more state assistance. 

More than 19% of OPS students and 14.47% of Central students receive Special Education services. 

IDEA is a federal law, and Klipfel said she does not believe there is political will to repeal it. 

“I hope that we all still agree that students with disabilities exist and that they deserve to have services to help them get a quality education,” Klipfel said. 

Klipfel said most of the Special Education program’s costs are covered by the state and that less than 10% of its funding comes from the federal government.  

“Still, every penny counts,” Klipfel said. She said that Special Education students are supposed to get full funding from the federal government under IDEA, but that has never happened, so the state pays the difference. Klipfel said the Special Education department at Central is “lucky” and has a lot of resources provided by the district. 

Klipfel said the Special Education department is focusing on continuing to serve their students and encouraging families not to worry, even if it is valid to.  

“Put your energy into what you can do, what you can change,” Klipfel said.