Empowering Parents With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

By Tamra Farah

You might not agree with everything in this bill, but you may appreciate the significant shift of authority from the federal government to the states in education. After decades of stagnant student achievement, despite a substantial 140% increase in federal education funding since 1980, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1), signed into law on July 4, 2025, represents a bold new chapter in American education.

According to the 2022 NAEP, only 13% of eighth graders are proficient in reading and just 26% in math. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education’s budget ballooned to $79.8 billion. This bill takes a scalpel to that number, slashing $14.7 billion from underperforming K-12 programs like Head Start and Title IV.
Heritage Foundation’s Lindsey Burke put it bluntly: “Federal overreach wastes billions while classrooms suffer.” And AEI’s Preston Cooper points out that Head Start’s $12,500-per-child price tag delivers “negligible academic gains.”

Instead of funneling money into ineffective programs, the bill empowers families with Education Savings Accounts—giving parents the tools to take back control from bureaucrats and push back against divisive ideologies like CRT.

HR1 isn’t just a budget cut—it’s a philosophical shift. By dismantling top-down mandates and restoring power to states and parents, it champions a future where education reflects local values, not federal agendas.

This groundbreaking legislation cuts over $14.7 billion in federal funding, including $10.1 billion for Head Start, which serves 800,000 low-income children with early education, and $4.6 billion for programs like Title II, Part A, which provided $2.1 billion for teacher training. Parents Defending Education criticized the $735 million of that budget allocated to promoting Critical Race Theory and DEI. 

Title IV, Parts A and B, totaling $1.3 billion for safety, technology, and after-school programs, criticized by Moms for Liberty for including social justice themes, was cut. The previous $18.38 billion in Title I funding for high-poverty schools and IDEA at $13.6 billion supporting special education will now be accessed through Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). This change allows parents to fund tuition, tutoring, books, and more through public, private, charter, or homeschool options, without state curriculum mandates for private and homeschool settings, as demonstrated by Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship model.

H.R.1 prohibits federal funding for schools that promote "divisive concepts” like CRT and DEI. Secretary Linda McMahon is cutting $600 million in related grants to prioritize core academics, despite ongoing lawsuits from the NEA, ACLU, AFT, and states that have secured injunctions over what they consider vague guidance and free speech concerns. Drawing from Trump’s 2020 Executive Order and state laws such as Tennessee’s CRT ban and Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E. Act, this measure targets racial superiority and the concept of collective guilt. Schools must certify compliance by October 15, 2025, through the End DEI portal, with audits to confirm no federal funds support divisive content, or they risk losing Title I funds. The Heritage Foundation supports this move, noting that 70% of parents want education to treat slavery as a tragedy, not as America’s defining identity.

H.R.1 allows states to redirect Title I funds to ESAs, covering expenses like special needs services and transportation, with parents in control, as praised by AEI’s Preston Cooper for enabling market-driven education. It extends IDEA funds for ESAs through 2026-2027, supporting children with disabilities, overseen by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs through annual reports and audits. H.R.1 mandates K-12 schools post curricula online by September 30, 2025, notify parents of changes within 48 hours, and enforce this through the Office for Civil Rights, empowering families to ensure education aligns with community values. The Cato Institute likely favors this shift, arguing federal programs like Head Start and Title IV are inefficient, with only 60% of technology funds improving outcomes and 30% of rural schools lacking broadband despite grants.

Some may question this shift in authority. However, on balance, by decentralizing education, states and individual parents have the power to reject divisive ideologies. H.R.1 empowers parents and ensures schools prioritize core academics without woke concepts, while respecting all students. 

Critics warn that funding cuts could strain public schools, but these reforms remain a priority. The truth is that public schools, despite receiving substantial funding, still perform poorly academically and need radical change. This bill serves as a rallying cry for families who want education that reflects their values, not federal mandates. It challenges the status quo, signaling that the era of one-size-fits-all schooling is over. 

In its place rises a “new” vision—one that revives an older, proven model where parents, not Washington, shape the future of their children’s learning. In early America, an eighth-grade education often surpassed today’s high school standards, rooted in rigor, values, and local control. This bill doesn’t just reform, it ignites a revolution in how we think about education in America.