Sheehy says he supports defunding the U.S. Department of Education

BILLINGS — Tim Sheehy, a U.S. Senate candidate in Montana, says he supports gutting the U.S. Department of Education.

Sheehy, a Republican, held a rally at the Bearded Viking Mead Company in Columbus on Monday, where he spoke about immigration, health care and veterans’ care, then answered questions about education.

MTN was given three minutes to ask four questions at Sheehy’s rally, due to his rejection of the request to participate in both the debate and individual interviews. The only other candidate who did not participate was Green Party candidate Robert Barb, who could not be contacted.

“Well, I’ll tell you what that means,” Sheehy said when asked about the quotes attributed to him in an article in the Daily Montananin which he suggested cutting the Department of Education’s budget by $30 billion. “We have federal agencies that are exceeding their authority, and I don’t think we need a federal Department of Education telling our parents how they should educate their children.”

America Votes: Montana’s U.S. Senate race

Sheehy is running against Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, who is seeking a fourth term. The tester’s office stated that he was not available for an interview due to time constraints.

Scott McCulloch, president of the Billings School District 2 school board, has been in education since 1977 and a board member since 2018. He has defended the federal agency.

“The Department of Education says the federal government believes education is important, as important as health care and social services, as important as the military,” McCulloch said.

Sheehy is among other Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, promising to eliminate the Department of Education, which focuses primarily on setting education standards and monitoring school performance.

“The idea that we can have a functioning democracy without public education is as wrong as the day is long,” McCulloch said.

According to Sheehy, stripping the Department of Education would require congressional action and would not necessarily mean the end of public education.

“It’s school choice. What happens is, if you want to homeschool, it’s a public school, it’s a private school, (and) it’s charter schools,” said Sheehy, who has advocated for a move to block grant funding for schools.

Last year, six percent of parents of elementary and middle school students in Montana transferred their children to private schools, according to US Census data.

“Block grant funding has some advantages, but it also has disadvantages when it comes to our education system,” McCulloch said. “How do you know the money is being used wisely if it is sent in pieces? Could we actually see money being given through a voucher system for some show that is more like Harry Potter than anything else?

Sheehy and many other Republicans who have expressed concerns about the Education Department say they are focusing on materials offered in public schools, something many educators like McCulloch deny.

“All of a sudden we started talking about, you know, the assumption that there was actually an agenda to somehow politicize social studies in our schools,” McCulloch said.

“During my time as an elected official, serving in both the state legislature and as state superintendent, I have been a strong supporter of states’ rights. Montana residents are best served by a government that is closest to the people. I believe the federal government should better reflect the character of our great state, characterized by strong local accountability. Each child is as unique as the communities that make up our great country. The focus on strong local control reflects this uniqueness.”

MTN News also requested an interview with Elsie Arntzen, the Republican superintendent of public instruction, who declined but provided a statement.

“During my time as an elected official, serving in both the state legislature and as state superintendent, I have been a strong supporter of states’ rights. Montana residents are best served by a government that is closest to the people. I believe the federal government should better reflect the strong local ownership of our great state. Each child is as unique as the communities that make up our great country. The focus on strong local control reflects this uniqueness.”