SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:
And let's talk more about what this could all mean for those local school districts. We're joined now by Robert Taylor. He's the superintendent of the Wake County Public School System, which covers Raleigh, North Carolina, and some surrounding areas. Superintendent Taylor, good morning. Thanks for being here.
ROBERT TAYLOR: Good morning. Thanks for having me.
MCCAMMON: I wonder if you could start by just describing the relationship between your district and the Federal Department of Education. I mean, when would you typically interact with the department and why?
TAYLOR: And so most of the interaction that we have with the department is really about compliance. We have parents that may have OCR complaints. They will talk with the district in terms of how we can have program improvement. And so our specific contact is limited. Most of that is with the state department and just programmatic things that they provide for all school districts.
MCCAMMON: So you're referring there to things like civil rights complaints. If funding for the department were to go away, or, you know, if there were a significant change, say that money going to block grants to the states instead, what would that look like for your schools?
TAYLOR: And so that is one of the biggest issues that we have that with a block grant, a state legislature now has the authority to allot that funding in any way that they see. And so that would be a major blow to a district if that allotment varies differently from what now happens at the Department of Public Instruction. So they do have funding identified in specific areas, but a block grant controlled by a state could completely change the allocation structure.
MCCAMMON: Does it matter to you very much how the money gets to you, or is it more about the amount of money that your district gets?
TAYLOR: It's really a both-and because it is about the amount of money we want to see that stays consistent. But it's also about the programmatic area, that if they reduce funding in specific areas where we have a need, then that is an impact. If we think about migrant students or ESL students, those numbers can be greater in one district versus another district. So we do want some of that funding to be based on ADM or specific program identifications that have been laid out.
MCCAMMON: So as we're saying, some of this money does come through the states. You were a deputy superintendent at the state level in North Carolina at one time, as I understand it.
TAYLOR: Yes.
MCCAMMON: How do states typically interact with the Department of Education as opposed to the local districts?
TAYLOR: And so this is a major part of what that interaction is about. It is about program implementation. They review state grants, state applications that are put in to make sure that we're addressing the right components. They also provide guidance in terms of how we need to help individual districts implement programs. So much of that guidance in terms of program implementation does come from the federal department, and that is a direct connection that state departments have.
MCCAMMON: Now, North Carolina is one of several states involved in a case that was filed before this Supreme Court decision. You're suing the Department of Education over its decision to freeze federal education grants. What does Wake County use that money for?
TAYLOR: And so we use that for a myriad of activities. Part of it is professional development. Part of it is ESL program implementation - new English-language learners, if you will. And then program literacy. And so without these federal funding allocations, it puts us in a position where we have to pivot at a very short notice. Many schools will start in late August, but we already have over 40 year-round schools that have started. So having to make that change now is a significant impact.
MCCAMMON: In your judgment, Superintendent Taylor, will students in Wake County be better or worse off if the Department of Education were to shut down?
TAYLOR: And so I would think that students would be worse off because all of the programmatic things, the guidance, the program innovation that we get, now individual districts and states are not able to collaborate with the federal department to make sure we're moving in a positive direction. And so while individual districts and states will still do those things to make sure their students are learning, we have to recognize that the federal component of supporting education is vital. And without that, it leaves us at a disadvantage.
MCCAMMON: Robert Taylor is the superintendent of the Wake County Public School System in North Carolina. Thanks for your time this morning.
TAYLOR: Thank you.
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