HONOLULU (KHON2) — In a bold move, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education as he looks to shrink the size of federal government.

The Trump administration is preparing to eliminate the Department of Education, with a draft executive order directing education secretary Linda McMahon to initiate the closure.

The move seeks to return education control to the states.

“America’s education quality and statistics has dropped drastically, and so we are no longer number one across the world, and centralizing education, which the federal Department of Education does, is simply not good for America. It’s not good for our education system,” said State Representative Diamond Garcia, House Minority Floor Leader.

However, critics, including the Hawaii State Teachers Association, argue such a move would disrupt funding and oversight for essential programs, particularly those supporting special education students and low-income students. Those concerns voiced at a recent town hall meeting with Hawaii Congresswoman Jill Tokuda.

“I have some teachers that are preschool teachers that I’m concerned about for them, but also, it’s the kids,” said Maureen, a teacher in Honokaa.

According to the HSTA, the state Department of Education receives nearly 11% of its annual funding from the federal government.

Federal funds provide Hawaii nearly $52 million a year in Title 1 grants to hire teachers and support staff. Loss of those funds could mean a larger teacher shortage.

Hawaii could also lose about $38 million in federal support for special needs students. And school meal subsidies could be at risk.

The HSTA has voiced its concerns, its members participating in a recent rally in Washington, D.C

Those who support the President’s agenda say they see the move as a benefit for the state.

“I think the President has made clear that it’s not cutting funds and we’re no longer funding programs. We’re simply wanting to remove the oversight, the bureaucracy, the red tape from the Federal DOE, and let the states handle things for themselves,” said Rep. Garcia.

It’s not clear what the state would do if the federal government followed through with eliminating the DOE, but it is certain that as the future for the department unfolds, Hawaii educators and legislators are closely monitoring developments.