California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office will continue to monitor the new executive order. This video was broadcast on the NBC4 at 5 p.m. on March 20, 2025.
President Trump’s decision to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education Thursday prompted swift responses from California officials.
Attorney General Rob Bonta said Trump's action to shut down the department is dangerous yet unsurprising.
“(The Trump Administration) continues to do everything it can to destroy the department’s ability to carry out its most vital, congressionally-mandated functions with the clearly stated ‘final mission’ of shuttering the department for good,” said the Attorney General’s office.
The attorney general’s office will continue to monitor the new order, according to Bonta.
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“(The executive order) is very careful with its wording," Bonta told NBC4. “Which means it’s important to monitor what their actions actually are. Our recourse is to take them to court if they break the law.”
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho warned that dismantling the department will impact students, teachers, food and education programs.
“For those who argue that maybe there's a better way of earmarking dollars directly to states through block grants and empower states with local decisions, I have news for you: That's already the reality,'' Carvalho said. “This begs the question, `Why?' and `Why now?' and `What is the impact long-term that will directly impact our kids?''
LAUSD, the nation's second largest school district, has 85% of its population living at or below the poverty level, according to Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
The district receives about $1.2 billion of federal investment with about $470 million supporting the largest program, Title 1. Funds from the department also support children diagnosed with autism, ADHD, disabilities or who require special assistance as well as students experiencing homelessness.
“These federal programs provide stability, support and accelerated learning for thousands of kids in our district, and millions of kids across America,'' Carvalho said.
The department closure will not impact programs supporting students with disabilities, Title I funds for low-income schools and Pell Grants college students, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
But Bonta believes otherwise.
“He’s trying to sell this. He’s trying to make it seem like this horrible thing is not horrible,” Bonta said. “It does hurt kids who are seeking special education. It does hurt poor kids. It does hurt kids' civil rights.”
Finalizing the department's closure is likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979.
“Nearly five decades of providing critical services. And with one swipe of the pen The Trump Administration seeks to end it,” Bonta said.
