Public education is under attack under Trump. School boards must fight back.

By now, you’ve probably heard about the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law on the Fourth of July.

You may know it slashes Medicaid, hands tax breaks to the wealthy and shifts more costs onto working families. But what you might not realize is this: it’s also one of the most devastating attacks on public education in a generation.

This law guts funding for public schools, cancels billions already allocated for teacher training and after-school programs, and freezes support for English learners. It cuts off Medicaid reimbursements that schools rely on to pay for nurses, mental health counselors and special education services. It shrinks access to free school meals.

And it introduces a nationwide voucher-style tax break that sends public dollars to private and religious schools with almost no accountability.

Now, the situation has gone from bad to worse. In a stunning and deeply troubling decision, the Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to proceed with dismantling the Department of Education, paving the way for funding disruptions, weakened civil rights enforcement, and the erosion of basic support systems.

Republicans are using school boards to wage culture wars

We are witnessing a full-scale attack on the foundation of our nation’s public schools — a core part of our national fabric that 50 million students rely on throughout the year.

While Republicans in Washington weaken America’s public schools, right-wing political groups are moving in, with a clear plan to seize control of our local school boards.

For years, Republicans have treated school boards as entry points for political power, using them as bully pulpits to wage culture wars, test extremist policies, and launch political careers. What we’re seeing today is the culmination of that strategy, now supercharged by federal disinvestment and national coordination.

They’re not doing it to improve schools. They’re doing it to push an extreme political agenda: banning books, censoring history, targeting LGBTQ+ students, dismantling equity programs and more.

And they’re succeeding, especially in these low-turnout, low-information elections. With only 5% to 10% of voters participating in school board elections, right-wing candidates often sail to victory – sometimes in uncontested races – not because they represent the majority, but because fewer people are paying attention.

But there’s still time to fight back.

Despite these federal cuts, school boards still control the most important levers of our public education system: how local dollars are spent, what curricula students are taught, who leads our districts, and whether schools are safe and inclusive.

Not only are school boards emerging as a key institution with the power to resist Trump’s agenda, they are a training ground for future leaders, with 82,000 Americans serving on a school board.

Citizens who defend public education must run for office

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Investing in school board races is investing in our democracy at every level. If we want to protect our kids and our country, we need to treat school board elections like what they are: a fight for the future.

We need to elect school board members who will practice good governance, pursue academic excellence and freedom and foster schools where every kid belongs — no matter their race, background, identity or ZIP code.

We need more people to step up and run. We need more donors to invest in these races. And we need voters to treat school board elections with the urgency this moment demands.

Polls show the public is with us. Most Americans reject school voucher schemes. They support increased education funding. They want their children to learn honest history, not political propaganda. And they know that strong public schools are the foundation of a strong country.

The One Big Beautiful Bill, paired with the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Department of Education, should be a wake-up call. Yes, this is a story about education cuts. However, it is also a warning shot from a political movement that views schools not as places to nurture children, but as battlegrounds to shape culture and consolidate power.

We can’t let them win. The fight to protect public education — and the democracy it underpins — is happening right now, in school board races across the country. This is our chance to show up, push back and chart a better course.

Run. Invest. Get involved in these low-information, low-turnout races.

After all, the future we choose for our schools is the future we choose for our country.