Trump Signs Executive Order to Cut Funding for Schools With COVID Vaccine Mandates

Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that would strip federal funding from schools enforcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates for students.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some states and local governments considered mandating COVID vaccines for school-aged children.

California was among the first to propose such a requirement but later abandoned it following strong opposition from parents and conservative lawmakers, according to ABC News.

Vaccine mandates have remained a contentious issue, with Trump campaigning heavily on eliminating all COVID-related restrictions, including vaccine and mask mandates.

In August 2024, Trump vowed, "I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate." His administration has since taken steps to fulfill that promise, culminating in the executive order.

While the order applies only to students and not teachers or staff, it signals the administration's broader effort to curtail public health mandates in schools.

The executive order directs Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the incoming Education Secretary to create a plan for ending "coercive COVID-19 vaccine mandates" and to monitor schools for compliance. Additionally, the order extends to education service agencies, state education agencies and local education agencies, ensuring that no federal funds reach institutions enforcing student vaccine requirements.

The White House framed the move as a necessary step to protect parental rights, stating, "Parents are being forced into a difficult position: comply with a controversial mandate or risk their child's educational future."

However, because no states currently require COVID-19 vaccines for students grade K-12 and only just over a dozen colleges require it, the immediate impact of the order remains limited.

The executive order raises concerns about whether the administration could extend its stance beyond COVID-19 vaccines. Currently, all 50 states mandate certain childhood immunizations—such as measles and polio—with most allowing religious or medical exemptions.