The Department of Education (ED) is a bloated bureaucracy feeding off taxpayer dollars and far removed from understanding school districts’ needs. A new report, Waste Land: The Department’s Profligacy, Mediocrity, and Radicalism, lays out exactly where the Trump administration should cut, reallocate, or eliminate wasteful programs. One case study in the report proves what conservatives have long argued: strong local leadership and private benefactors are better equipped to improve their schools than federal funding and interference from Washington.
Steve Paramore grew up in Ashland, Ohio, walking the same halls he now oversees as superintendent of the Ashland City School District (ACSD). A graduate of Ashland High School (’99), Florida Southern College (’03), and Ashland University (’09, ’14), he has spent nearly two decades working in the district—his wife and children are alumni, too. For Paramore, leading ACSD is not just a job. It is home.
That deep connection was on full display when he joined the podcast CEOs You Should Know – Mansfield. Throughout the episode, his enthusiasm was unmistakable. When the board of education voted unanimously (5-0) to name him superintendent, he saw it as more than just an appointment—it was a responsibility to the town that had shaped him. He credited the mayor’s housing developments for boosting enrollment, and when he was not leading the district, he was coaching women’s golf at Ashland University or broadcasting home football games.
At the State of the City Address last January, Paramore did not talk about federal education policies. He did not need to. Instead, he highlighted what truly drives ACSD’s success: an extraordinary level of local support. In the 2023-24 school year, the district received $770,000 from community members and local foundations. He told the story of one woman who left her home for the district after she passed. That home is now a space where students learn essential life skills—how to make a bed, do laundry, and cook.
He also addressed a concern that does not need Washington’s intervention: student internet safety. ACSD has its own approach, requiring personal electronic devices (PEDs) to be turned off and stored during school hours. The high school has some flexibility, but usage is still monitored. Paramore urged parents to take an active role in their children’s online activity—a message met with nods of agreement from the community.
Later, I visited a small family restaurant in town and asked locals what they thought of Paramore’s leadership. One employee, handing me a cup of coffee, did not hesitate to respond. “We trust him,” she said, pointing to the district’s recent renovation projects, largely funded by private donations.
The ED? It was not mentioned. And why should it be?
Federal funding makes up the smallest portion of ACSD’s budget. More than half comes from local tax revenue. ACSD thrives because of its leadership and the community’s trust—because people know the district is in the hands of one of their own, not a bureaucrat from Washington. Paramore does not thank the ED for his district’s success. He thanks the local taxpayers and benefactors who believe in Ashland’s future.
The truth is clear: ACSD does not need Washington. It never did. And when the ED is finally scaled back, other districts would do well to follow Ashland’s lead.
Image: “Ashland High School” User:OHWiki on Wikimedia Commons
Nuf’ said! Well written!