Student Thoughts on the Government Shutdown

The United States government shutdown at midnight, October 1, 2025, due to Congress’s inability to agree on a spending bill for fiscal year 2026. Since then, many national parks and museums were temporarily closed and there were  at least 730,000 federal workers working without pay. The negotiations remained at a stalemate for some time before the shut down ended the week of November 10th. The Chronicle was interested in seeing how students felt.

Opinions and Impacts

During the shutdown, Americans were left to wonder what other government-run institutions were affected, and how it may have impacted their lives. Springfield Township School District does indeed get most of its money from property owners in the community, and the district ensured that the free meals, special education, and reading programs continue through the shutdown. Senior, Bryn McGhiey, points out that “it might be more difficult for students at private schools because they are paying for their tuition,” and their parents might be experiencing financial issues. Students are also concerned about the federal workers who did not receive pay.

Responsibility and Division

Overall, Spartans were a bit confused as to why the shutdown happened and don’t think it was good for the country.

Sophomore Violet Malone expresses frustration with how “The Republicans and Democrats cannot just seem to agree on anything,”  showing “some deep political hatred towards each other.” Senior, Isaac Darga, co-president of Youth and Government, admits that despite the majority of blame being on Democrats, he “actually think[s] that it’s on the Republicans because they are controlling all [three branches of government].”

On the contrary, junior, Andrew Welsh, believes “both parties share responsibility for it because [they] just can’t seem to agree on anything.” All students agreed that the shutdown is a major example of the division between the American political parties and, as Gus May states, “it speaks… to the party over country style of thinking” seen in recent years.

How Long Will It Last?

Tenzin Chukey, a junior at Springfield, predicted that the shutdown will continue for “a couple months” because, as it started to affect more people, an increased effort will be put forth to reopen the government. She believes that it depends on the American people and their willingness to take action.

Learning More

Students were also asked about their knowledge of the shutdown, and many admitted that they didn’t know much about it at all. Some, like Darga and Welsh, kept tabs on its progression by using sources like TikTok and Instagram, and both admit they are not the most reliable options. Others did research to grow an understanding of the situation, using news outlets like PBS, CNN, and NBC. 

Overall, Spartans believed that the government shutdown was not beneficial for the country and that it only highlighted the growing division between the political parties.