While it isn't the first time the U.S. has tried to abolish the Department of Education or merge it with another agency, previous attempts have failed to get backing from Congress. President of the Ohio Education Association Scott DiMauro tells 21 News the DOE is vital to the funding and operation of Ohio's public schools.

"Federal Department of Education performs a very important role in helping us ensure that every single student has the support that they need to be successful," DiMauro said.

If the DOE were to be abolished, Ohio would be at stake of losing some pretty significant programs.

"We have some districts that get as much as 25 percent of their funding from federal sources," DiMauro said. "Our most vulnerable students would be most at risk. we could see exploding class sizes and it's important to remember that the public schools in Ohio serve nearly 90 percent of all kids and 95 percent of all kids with disabilities," he said.

This all comes at a time when Governor Mike DeWine's new budget proposal would cut millions of dollars from the funding Mahoning Valley schools receives.

"You're gonna see a significant loss of support for students with disabilities and students who need extra help as far as academic supports in high poverty communities," DiMauro said.

DiMauro also said they'd be watching Title IX very closely to make sure the rights of all students are protected and that gutting the DOE would really put that at risk.