President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order Thursday directing the shutdown of the U.S. Department of Education, a move aimed at fulfilling one of his core campaign promises, a White House official confirmed.
The order instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin taking steps to dissolve the department and transfer control of education policy back to the states. However, fully eliminating the agency—created by Congress in 1979—would require congressional approval, making the plan’s future uncertain.
The White House said the order would prioritize maintaining critical services and federal programs Americans rely on, including Title I funding for low-income schools and Pell grants for college students.
Federal Cuts Already Underway
Trump has frequently criticized the Education Department as wasteful and ideologically driven. His administration has already cut the department’s workforce in half and slashed funding for areas like the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences.
The department currently oversees $1.6 trillion in federal student loans and manages billions in annual funding for schools, including programs supporting homeless students, school meals, and low-income communities.
Opposition Grows Over Impact on Public Education
Advocates warn that dissolving the agency would deepen inequalities in America’s education system. “This isn’t fixing education. It’s making sure millions of children never get a fair shot,” the National Parents Union said in a statement.
While federal funding makes up only 14% of public school budgets, those dollars are crucial for vulnerable student programs. Colleges and universities also depend heavily on federal aid and research grants.
Conservatives Applaud, Critics Question Authority
Calls to eliminate the department have circulated in Republican circles for decades, but momentum has grown recently with conservative parent groups pushing for more local control of schools. Trump has portrayed the department as filled with “radicals and Marxists” influencing education policy.
Still, even some allies question the executive branch’s authority to close the agency without Congress. In 2023, a House vote on an amendment to eliminate the department failed after 60 Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.
During his first term, Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos tried slashing the department’s budget and shifting K-12 funding into block grants—an effort that was also rejected by lawmakers.
Trump has also used the department to advance his agenda, including targeting diversity programs, transgender athletes, and pro-Palestinian activism in schools by threatening funding cuts.
For now, the future of the department remains uncertain as legal and political challenges loom.
