The first years of President Donald Trump’s education reform plan would cut more than $600 billion from education spending, including $600.4 billion for schools, the White House said Thursday in a report.
That’s more than three times as much as the $1 trillion spent by the Obama administration.
The White House report also said the package would include $600 million for early childhood education and $100 million for Head Start.
Trump and congressional Democrats say the money for early education is needed for students who may have trouble in school or need help to find a job.
Trump said during his campaign that he wants the money to help children and families get into college.
Education spending is the biggest source of the $2.7 trillion in federal student aid, which is supposed to be used to help students graduate from high school and prepare for college.
The education funding cuts in the Trump budget would hit most low-income students and students of color, who comprise nearly 40 percent of students in the U.S. But the White School Project, which supports schools and teachers, said the Trump plan would take money from those programs and cut $2,500 per student for low- and moderate-income families.
The cuts would be especially harsh on low- income families, the report said.
A spokesman for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said Thursday that the cuts would have a “widespread impact” on the country’s schools.
DeVos did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s budget would also increase spending on the White house’s National Park Service by $250 million to pay for more maintenance and repairs.
The Trump administration says it would give $100 for each of the 1.4 million acres of National Park land dedicated to public use.
Trump also proposed $100 billion for infrastructure improvements.
The budget also proposed a $500 million increase in research and development spending, as well as a $1 billion increase in student financial aid.
That money would help the federal government cover the costs of higher education for students.
A White House official said the plan also would give more money to the Department of Education to pay teachers, including a $10,000 increase in the federal Pell Grant program for families.
Trump has proposed funding for the Education Department to spend $5 billion to help states improve math, reading and science standards and the Office of Science Education and Research.
DeVos has said she will work to ensure that education dollars are spent wisely.
