HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — Harrisonburg City Public School Board members met with Congressman Ben Cline this week to discuss H.R. 899: The Termination of the Department of Education, a bill Cline co-sponsored.

Emma Phillips, Chair of the Board, Tim Howley, Vice Chair, and Mattie Waller, the board’s legislative intern were in attendance.

The meeting followed the board’s adoption of Resolution Opposing H.R. 899 on March 4, 2025, which raised concerns about the potential consequences of eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, particularly the impact on federally funded programs that support students in local schools.

“We’re grateful that Congressman Cline was willing to meet with us and hear our perspective as local education leaders. While we respectfully disagree on the elimination of the Department of Education, we appreciated the opportunity to share how federal programs directly impact our students,” Emma Phillips, Chair of the Board, said.

Congressman Cline acknowledged the importance of maintaining federal support for students and noted that such funding could be administered through other federal agencies. He expressed openness to continued dialogue.

The meeting served as a constructive starting point for future conversations between local and federal leaders about the best ways to support students and public education.