Rounds Cosponsors Bill to Restore State and Local Control of Education

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mt.) and others to introduce the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success (A-PLUS) Act, the first step to eliminating the Department of Education. The A-PLUS Act restores state and local control of education by giving them the option to decline participation in the prescriptive and onerous requirements of federal education programs and focus that funding on solutions that meet their community needs.

“I’ve worked with President Trump to return K-12 decision making back to the states and local school boards. Since ending the federal mandate requiring states to adopt the Common Core State Standards, the A-PLUS Act is the next step that will expedite the transfer of power and decision making away from the federal bureaucracy and back to South Dakotans – where it belongs. Our legislation provides flexibility by allowing local governments to opt out of onerous federal guidelines and requirements. We have to get Washington out of the way, especially when it comes to raising our youth. While the votes are not there today to successfully eliminate the Department of Education, this is a good step to bring education decision-making back to state and local governments.”

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