LEETONIA — Within Columbiana County, Leetonia is one of the top three school districts expected to be the most impacted if the federal Department of Education is eliminated.

According to data released in the Ohio Department of Education’s CUPP report, which provides data for comparison purposes for traditional public school districts, last year Leetonia received the third most federal funding per pupil with $3,532.29, which is more than $789 more than county average.

Leetonia school district treasurer Jennifer Coldsnow acknowledges that 4 percent of the Leetonia’s revenue had come from the U.S. Department of Education, which President Donald Trump is pondering dismantling in order to shrink the size of the federal government.

While White House officials have drafted the executive order, Congressional action would be required to fully eliminate it.

Just in case, the movement happens to garner favor in the Capitol, where it historically failed in the past, local school districts are prepared.

Leetonia receives in excess of $450,000 annually in federal funds, according to Coldsnow.

That would include $219,627.08 in Title I for low income students; $31,497.23 in Title II-A for professional development; $17,080.64 in Title IV-A for student support programs like funding the school resource officer and PBIS); $166,246.67in IDEA Part B for special education; and $4,607.83 in IDEA Early Childhood for special education.

Coldsnow said Leetonia also receives a $17,767 Small Rural School Achievement grant that funds part of the salary or their school liaison.

According to Per Pupil Revenue data extracted from the Ohio Department of Education’s CUPP report, East Liverpool and Lisbon are the only county districts to receive more federal funds with $4772.39 and $3,855.66, respectively.

Columbiana and United Local receive the least federal aid at $1,333.35 and $1,136.29 per pupil. Both districts draw the majority of their revenue from local funding.

In the case of Columbiana, residents have paid a 1 percent school district income tax since 2003. On the other hand, United Local constituents have paid a 5% real property tax since 1992 to support their school system.

United Local school district treasurer Melissa Baker explained in the absence of the U.S. Department or Education, many school administrators are expecting that funds formerly administered through the federal government instead would flow through the state.

However, before this ultimately would occur, the new State of Ohio budget bill already has United Local losing 5 percent of its state revenues.

So, district treasurers are waiting in anticipation to see how that would translate potentially to the federal fund receipts they had been receiving.

For Columbiana, it may be the latest hit to its coffers.

The district’s receipt of a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for telecommunication upgrades still could be on the line.

Columbiana schools Superintendent Donald Mook said that grant funding still doesn’t appear to be impacted, as Trump continues to trim other funding within the DOA and other federal agencies.