The Education Reform and Decentralization Act of 2025

Section 1: Abolition of the Department of Education

1.1. Termination of Department
Effective immediately upon passage of this Act, the United States Department of Education is hereby dissolved. All federal education responsibilities will be devolved to state governments and local school boards, allowing for a more community-focused approach to education.

1.2. Redistribution of Duties
Any federal functions of the Department of Education related to civil rights enforcement, school safety, and federal financial aid will be transferred to relevant existing agencies:

•	Civil Rights Enforcement: Authority over educational civil rights will transfer to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
•	Federal Financial Aid: Federal financial aid responsibilities will be handled by the U.S. Department of Treasury, which will oversee the administration of grants, loans, and scholarships for students pursuing higher education.

Section 2: National Education Incentive Program

2.1. Creation of the National Education Innovation Fund
A fund of $500 billion over the next 10 years will be established to incentivize states, local governments, and private institutions to adopt curricula that prioritize the development of practical skills, critical thinking, and a well-rounded intellectual foundation. Grants will be made available to schools and districts that voluntarily adopt or significantly integrate the following subjects into their core curricula:

•	Business Education: Practical courses in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, economics, and management, with a focus on real-world application.
•	History: In-depth study of American history, world history, and classical civilizations with an emphasis on critical analysis of historical events, their causes, and impacts on modern society.
•	Philosophy: Courses that encourage logical reasoning, ethics, and the exploration of different philosophical traditions, with a focus on teaching students how to think critically and reflect on moral and ethical questions.
•	Writing and Rhetoric: Comprehensive writing courses that focus on clarity, argumentation, research skills, and effective communication across different forms (essays, speeches, technical writing, etc.).
•	Science: Enhanced programs in biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science, ensuring that students are prepared for careers in STEM fields and have a solid grasp of the scientific method.
•	Music: Integration of music education across K-12 levels to develop creativity, discipline, and an understanding of cultural history through music theory, performance, and composition.
•	Classical Education Approach: Focus on classical texts, logic, and rhetoric, with a curriculum based on the trivium and quadrivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy). Schools will be encouraged to draw from classical sources that emphasize intellectual heritage and moral virtues.

Section 3: Flexibility and Autonomy for States

3.1. State Control and Customization
States and local governments will have full autonomy in the design and implementation of education systems tailored to their populations. The federal government will not mandate specific educational standards, curricula, or assessments but will provide grants to those that meet the requirements of the National Education Innovation Fund outlined in Section 2.

3.2. Incentive Allocation
Schools and districts that adopt a comprehensive curriculum aligned with the prioritized subjects above will be eligible for grants and performance-based bonuses. Funding allocation will be based on both implementation and measurable outcomes, such as student success in critical thinking, literacy, and preparation for civic and economic participation.

Section 4: Strengthening Apprenticeships and Vocational Programs

4.1. Apprenticeship Expansion
States will receive further incentives to integrate apprenticeship and vocational programs into their high school curricula, particularly in sectors like trades, technology, healthcare, and business. Programs will aim to provide high school students with practical, on-the-job experience in parallel to their academic studies, preparing them for both college and workforce entry.

Section 5: Oversight and Reporting

5.1. Annual Reporting
Each state receiving federal grants under this Act will submit an annual report to the U.S. Congress detailing how funds were spent, curriculum changes made, and progress toward educational goals. States must also provide data on student achievement, engagement, and success rates in the incentivized subjects.

Section 6: Architectural Excellence and Renaissance-Style School Design

6.1. Establishment of the Educational Architecture Fund
A $100 billion fund will be created to provide grants for the construction, renovation, and beautification of public school buildings. Schools that commit to designing or renovating buildings with an emphasis on classical and Renaissance-inspired architecture will be eligible for these funds.

•	Architectural Criteria: To qualify for this funding, schools must incorporate elements of classical and Renaissance architecture, such as:
•	Symmetry and proportionality in design
•	Use of columns, arches, and domes reminiscent of classical traditions
•	Integration of natural light and open spaces to foster a sense of inspiration and intellectual reflection
•	Use of quality materials such as stone, brick, and wood, with an emphasis on long-term durability and aesthetic appeal
•	Inclusion of courtyards, gardens, and public art (murals, statues) to create a harmonious and inspiring learning environment

6.2. Design Competitions and Grants for Innovation
An annual national design competition will be held, inviting architects, artists, and urban planners to submit school design proposals that blend functionality with Renaissance-inspired beauty. The top designs will receive grants for implementation, and the winning schools will serve as models of architectural excellence for others to follow.

6.3. Community Engagement in Design
Incentives will be offered to schools and districts that engage their local communities in the design process. Public input sessions, where educators, students, parents, and local artists collaborate with architects, will be encouraged to ensure that school designs reflect the values, culture, and aesthetics of the community while maintaining the principles of classical beauty.

6.4. Integration of Art and Sculpture
Funding will be made available for the integration of art, sculpture, and classical murals into school buildings. Schools will be incentivized to create aesthetically rich environments that encourage a connection to history, art, and culture, providing spaces for students to engage in both intellectual and creative endeavors.

6.5. Sustainability and Durability Standards
In addition to Renaissance-style beauty, schools receiving these funds will also be required to meet modern sustainability and durability standards. This includes:

•	Environmentally sustainable building practices, including the use of renewable energy and energy-efficient design
•	Long-lasting construction materials that reduce the need for future renovations and minimize environmental impact
•	Design elements that promote a healthy learning environment, such as natural ventilation, green spaces, and ergonomic classrooms

6.6. Performance-Based Incentives
Schools that successfully complete architectural projects aligned with these principles and demonstrate improvements in student morale, creativity, and engagement—through metrics such as student surveys and academic outcomes—will be eligible for additional performance-based grants.

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I’m with you up to Section 6. Just give it to the states with minimum requirements. Anytime you get federal $'s involved, bad things will happen.

3 Likes

Overall I like your proposal, although the numbers you quote boggle me. I’m concerned it would be replacing a bureaucracy with another bureaucracy, and it might be another form of profligate spending of taxpayers money. So with those caveats, I would add these would be useful programs to consider:

  • Agriculture and Entrepreneurial Education
  • Home-Based Education
  • Parental Rights and Educational Transparency

Section 7: Agriculture and Entrepreneurial Education
7.1. Establisment of Agricultural Education Incentives
A program for rewarding educational programs and individual sponsoring / mentoring of students in agriculture and entreprenureal skills.
7.2 Scope of Programs
This might include livestock breeding and production, rare/heritage breed preservation, market or community supported gardening, rare seed production, local food production, agricultural based alternative medicine, livestock and pet health & rescue, animal-based therapy programs, TNR (trap, neuter, release) and spay/neuter programs.
In particular, a focus on developing the skills to start and maintain both for-profit and non-profit business in the above domains at the local and start-up scale.

Section 8: Home-Based Education
8.1. Establisment of Financial Incentives for Homeschooling
All home-schooling families should receive their representative share of the education budget per student. Asking taxpayers to pay a share of the public school costs when they are not using those services and are actively schooling their children at home is fundamentally unfair. Families of home-schooled students should receive per-capita financial compensation for each student they home-school.
8.2 Provision of Community Sports and Activities for Home-Schoolers
An incentive should be provided to local communities and/or school systems to provide social and sports activities to home-schooled students. Where these services are provided, a portion of the per-capita finances for each homeschooler can support the program. The funds used to support these programs should be based on the percentage of home-schooling time dedicated to those activities.

Section 9: Parental Rights and Educational Transparency
9.1. Sovereignty of Parental Rights
Parental rights are recognized as sovereign over school rights.
9.2. Parental Right to Transparency
This includes prohibiting schools from hiding information or lying to parents regarding their children’s health care, vaccination, name use, gender, sexual health, pregnancy, abortion, mental health, or medication. It requires schools to provide any information requested regarding curricula, materials, media, or class content requested by the parent.
9.3. Supremacy of Parental Rights
This includes prohibiting schools from mandating or providing health care, vaccination, sexual health and education, pregnancy consultation, abortion, mental health care, or medication without consent from the parents. It also includes proactively providing parents with information on sensitive or controversial topics (gender affirming, CRT, etc.) that will be presented in classes, and providing the parent sufficient time to opt their child out of such education.

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Why tax for school at all? Get the federals out of anything except establishing guidelines with business leaders as to the recommended direction of curricula in general. Recommendations, guidelines, and curricula support as for the 1776 curricula (Hillsdale College has it hosted for free, go download), teaching standards that are pro-USA’s greatest traits- individualism, liberty, independence, family, pioneering spirit, etc. And Christianity and Western Civilization’s ideals at its heart.

Let homeschool be the mainstream, not the exception. Communities must develop their own systems, whether co-ops or one-room schoolhouses. Athletics must be completely apart from schools and colleges, but supported by communities and independent organizations. Libraries should be encouraged to become central meeting places, providing fora for learning, presentations and debate, unregulated by ivory tower institutions but pushed out to anyone who wants to engage. Whoever does not wish to push themselves or their children should not be forced, but advised accordingly.

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