Trump to sign order Thursday to shut down Department of Education

Trump Plans Executive Order to Shut Down Department of Education

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday directing the closure of the U.S. Department of Education, according to a White House official. The move follows through on a long-standing campaign pledge and targets an agency that has been a frequent focus of conservative criticism.

The official, who requested anonymity ahead of the formal announcement, said the order will begin the process of dismantling the department. However, fully eliminating it would require congressional approval, since the department was established by Congress in 1979.

A White House fact sheet says the order will instruct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take “all necessary steps” to shut down the agency and shift control of education back to the states, while ensuring that essential services and programs continue without disruption.

The Trump administration has already taken steps to scale back the department. Its workforce is being reduced by half, and major cuts have been made to key offices, including the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which collects nationwide education data.

Critics warn that dissolving the department could worsen existing inequalities in the education system. The National Parents Union released a statement saying, “This isn’t fixing education. It’s making sure millions of children never get a fair shot. And we’re not about to let that happen without a fight.”

The administration has not clarified which functions would be transferred to other departments or eliminated entirely. During her confirmation hearing, McMahon said she would maintain core initiatives like Title I funding for low-income schools and Pell Grants for college students from low-income families. She described the goal as creating a more efficient and better-functioning department.

Currently, the Department of Education manages billions in federal funds and oversees a student loan portfolio worth $1.6 trillion. Much of its role involves financial management and support—distributing funds for school meals, services for homeless students, and financial aid for college students. It also enforces civil rights in education.

Although federal funding accounts for just about 14% of public school budgets, that money often supports critical programs for vulnerable populations, such as Title I and McKinney-Vento grants for homeless students. Higher education institutions are even more reliant on federal dollars, especially through research grants and financial aid.

Calls to shut down the Department of Education have circulated among Republicans for decades. Critics argue the agency wastes taxpayer dollars and gives Washington too much influence over what should be state and local matters. Recently, this idea has gained renewed momentum, particularly among conservative parent groups demanding more control over their children’s education.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants to “send education back to the states, where it belongs,” describing the department as dominated by “radicals, zealots, and Marxists” who impose federal policies on schools.

At the same time, he’s used the department to advance elements of his political agenda—deploying the Office for Civil Rights and threatening to cut federal funding for schools that do not comply with his directives on issues like transgender athletes, pro-Palestinian protests, and diversity programs.

Even some of Trump’s allies have raised concerns about his authority to close the department without congressional involvement. In 2023, the House considered a measure to shut it down, but it failed after 60 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it.

During Trump’s first term, then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos also attempted to slash the department’s budget and proposed consolidating K-12 funds into flexible block grants for states. Congress rejected that proposal, with some Republicans voicing objections.