RICHMOND, Va. — Last week, it was announced that the Trump administration was preparing an executive order that would begin the process of dismantling the Department of Education.
In preparation for any possible cuts, Central Virginia nonprofit Hope for Learning is asking community members for more support now than ever.
The nonprofit works to provide basic household necessities for kids in Title I schools so they can focus on learning.
Executive Director Chuck Caple says while he doesn't receive grants directly from the Department of Education, he does rely on funding from some national foundations that do.
With potential cuts on the table, Caple is also concerned about how this could impact the Title I schools he works with throughout Central Virginia.
Caple says he relies on school leaders to connect him with families in need.
The schools provide two meals a day for these students, but Caple works to supply them with household necessities, like clothing, food, and toiletries, so kids can focus on learning.
In addition to the funding concerns, Caple is worried about reaching some of the immigrant families he serves, as he says some families are keeping their kids at home for fear of federal immigration law enforcement officials coming to school buildings in search of students.
"You not only have the kids at home who can't get the food and the things that they need, the basic needs, but you also have the parents and caregivers who are there taking care of them because they're afraid too," Caple explained. "And so now the school has been adjusted to have to do another whole thing to, you know, aside from everything else they're doing, and then we have to try to figure out how we can help the schools to help the children."
Richmond Public Schools passed a resolution last week designating their buildings as "safe zones" from federal immigration enforcement, and this is something Caple says he would like to see other districts do as well.
While funding is a concern for those who rely on the Department of Education, we should also note that nationally, DOE funds account for less than 10 percent of all public school funding, which is primarily driven by state and local taxes.
If you’d like to support Hope for Learning’s mission, you can visit their site here.
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