The Department of Education announced today in a press conference that the federal government intends to go ahead with plans to shut down hundreds of public schools across the nation as well as decrease funding for public colleges.

The move comes a week after reports that the U.S. government is suffering from its biggest deficit in over two decades. If the plans go into effect, as many as 200 public schools across the nation will be shut down and government funding for public colleges may drop by as much as $50 million.

Richard Quale, a spokesperson for the United States Department of Education (www.ed.gov), said today that, "due to the incredibly high deficit our nation is currently facing, President Johnson has authorized a bill that would decrease government funding for public schools in well-to-do neighborhoods. "Studies have shown that students are more likely to be enrolled in private schools in these areas and we do not feel that it is necessary to allocate government funds to schools with low attendance rates."

The announcement has angered many parents across the nation and there are already several protests planned in the upcoming weeks. "I drive my kids for an hour [to a public school] because we live in a neighborhood with primarily private schools," said Mary Gables of Long Beach, California. "My husband and I don't make enough money to pay for the private schools near us and if the government pushes for this plan to go through, my kids won't have a school to attend. I think that's just ridiculous."