The Trump administration took the first step in dismantling the Department of Education, as reports say more than 1,300 staff members were let go
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According to the teachers, these cuts create a trickle-down effect, impacting services, including those for children with special needs. The move is setting off alarms for educators.
“Everybody has a different learning process and we need to make sure that all of our students are getting the delivery of education that they need,” Pennsylvania State Education Association vice president Jeff Ney said.
The PSEA said the state receives about $1.6 billion in federal money. According to it and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, the bulk of it helps low-income schools and special needs students.
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“This harms students. It’s anti-worker, and it’s really reprehensible the way the Trump administration is handling it,” Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers president Billy Hileman said.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly said his plan is to give the power back to the states.
“We’re trying to get the schools back into the states. Let the states run the schools. And I’ll tell you, you’ll see something that’s going to blow your mind, it’s going to be run so well,” Mr. Trump said.
Union leaders feel that the cuts to staff could delay how quickly the money comes down to school districts.
“It’s not just a simple click of a button,” Ney said.
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The PSEA said this funding supports the work of 7,000 teachers and staff who could lose their jobs.
“School districts are going to have to make some very difficult decisions because they don’t have the resources that are coming down because of the cuts that were made to those staff,” Ney said.
Right now, schools are left in a waiting game to see how this will impact them.
For student loans
, the president has tossed around the idea of those being covered by a different department.
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Chris Hoffman
Chris is an award-winning reporter who started with KDKA in May 2019. He is thrilled to tell your stories in his hometown!
More than $22 million in “Money Match” checks were mailed to nearly 100,000 Pennsylvanians, the treasury said.
In a news release on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Treasury said people should be on the lookout for the checks, which are part of the Pennsylvania Money Match program. Treasurer Stacy Garrity said to cash or deposit the checks “promptly.”
The first Pennsylvania Money Match checks, totaling more than $1.7 million, are now on the way to Pennsylvanians’ mailboxes. Pennsylvania Money Match is a new program that allows Treasury to return certain unclaimed property to rightful owners automatically, which was approved unanimously by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor last year.
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“I want Pennsylvanians to know that this is a real check, it is real money, and it belongs to them,” Garrity said in the news release. “And as always, I still encourage everyone to regularly search for unclaimed property online, as many claims will not qualify for the Money Match process.”
With the mailing of the year’s last batch of checks, more than $50 million will have been returned automatically to Pennsylvanians.
What are Money Match checks?
The program allows the state treasury to automatically return unclaimed property valued up to $500 owned by a single individual. Before the program was created in 2024, residents themselves had to seek out unclaimed property.
“I’m thrilled to continue this program as we work hard to get more money back to its rightful owners,” Garrity said in the news release.
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However, if the property has multiple owners or is valued higher than $500, Pennsylvanians still need to file a claim.
What is unclaimed property?
Unclaimed property includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, rebates and insurance policies, among other things. It can also include the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.
According to the state treasury, more than one in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed some of the $5 billion in unclaimed property in the treasury’s care, and the average value of a claim is more than $1,000.
Unclaimed property scam
On its website, the state treasury has a warning about scammers using text messages to target potential unclaimed property claimants.
The department “never reaches out to people in regard to any program, including unclaimed property, via unsolicited text messages.”
A special weather statement was issued by the National Weather Service on Friday at 10:06 a.m. until 1 p.m. for Warren, McKean, Elk, Cameron, Clearfield, Cambria and Somerset counties.
“Temperatures will drop below the freezing mark through midday with rain showers quickly changing to snow showers. Blustery winds may dry off roads and other paved surfaces, but any residual water from previous rain or melting snow could freeze up and result in slick spots through the afternoon,” explains the weather service.
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