SALEM — The local impact of a potential shuttering of the U.S. Department of Education currently remains unclear.

“It’s really hard to have this discussion without knowing what the fallout of the decision would be,” said Salem Superintendent Sean Kirkland.

In terms of communication regarding the implementation and immediate effects of an expected executive order by President Donald Trump shuttering the department of education on Salem’s schools, Kirkland said the district has received “really nothing at all.” Kirkland said that currently it was unclear what the ramifications of shutting down the department of education, which oversees federal school funding programs and the government’s student loan portfolio, would be for Salem’s schools.

“I just don’t know enough about what impact that would have if it even happens, I don’t think most people know what such a decision would entail,” said Kirkland.

Kirkland said that currently the district has nine title teachers who are paid using funds from the district’s participation in federal programming that it is required to have by law, meaning that even if federal funding is affected the district would be required to maintain and fund those positions.

“Every federal program we have is funded in some way through the department of education, what would be the impact of [the department shutting down]? Nobody knows right now,” said Kirkland.

Currently the district participates in several federal programs administered through the U.S. Department of Education including Title 1A, Title 2A, Title 3, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) B. During the district’s annual federal funding meeting Director of Curriculum and Assessment and Federal Programs Jamie Kemats said that for the 2024-2025 school year the district received $726,474 from title IA, $103,661 from Title IIA, $20,596 from Title III, and $529,482 from IDEA B, a cumulative $1,380,213 in federal funding from all four programs.

“We all kind of have to sit back and wait and see. If [Trump] does try to dismantle the department of education, I don’t think he’ll be able to, but if he does, we’ll quickly find out what the decisions will be,” said Kirkland.