The Department of Education under President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that it is cutting nearly half of its staff, marking the first major step in a broader effort to dismantle the agency—a long-standing goal of right-wing Republicans.
The decision is the latest in a sweeping effort to shrink the federal government since Trump returned to the White House six weeks ago, following through on his pledge to streamline what he calls a bloated and inefficient bureaucracy. Thousands of federal employees across various agencies have already been dismissed.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who took office just five days ago, told Fox News that the cuts align with Trump’s directive last month to ultimately eliminate the department.
“His directive to me, clearly, is to shut down the Department of Education, which we know we’ll have to work with Congress to accomplish,” said McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. “But today’s move is the first step in eliminating what I see as bureaucratic bloat.”
On Tuesday, employees at the department—responsible for managing student loans, monitoring academic performance, and enforcing civil rights in education—were locked out of their offices as the layoffs were announced.
“As part of the Department of Education’s final mission, today we initiated a reduction in force impacting nearly 50 percent of the workforce,” the department said in a statement.
Congressional Battle Looms
The Education Department had around 4,100 employees when Trump took office. In recent weeks, nearly 600 have resigned or retired voluntarily as part of a broader government downsizing initiative led by billionaire businessman Elon Musk. An additional 1,300 employees will be placed on administrative leave starting March 21, remaining on payroll until June.
The department confirmed that all divisions will be affected, with some undergoing significant restructuring to “better serve students, parents, educators, and taxpayers.” However, key programs, including federal student loans, Pell Grants, and funding for students with disabilities, will continue.
During his campaign, Trump vowed to decentralize education, shifting control from the federal government to state and local authorities. While the federal government plays a relatively small role in K-12 education—contributing about 13 percent of total funding—its support is vital for low-income schools and special education programs. Additionally, the department plays a crucial role in enforcing civil rights protections for students.
By law, the Department of Education, established in 1979, cannot be abolished without congressional approval. However, critics argue that Trump’s strategy of slashing funding and firing staff is a way to render it ineffective without requiring formal legislative action.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray a former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, condemned the move, accusing Trump of prioritizing tax cuts for the wealthy over students’ needs.
“Families want help improving students’ math and reading scores and ensuring their kids can succeed. Instead, Donald Trump is gutting the Department of Education, stripping resources from students and teachers so Republicans can fund more tax cuts for billionaires,” Murray said in a statement.
“Fewer teachers, less accountability, fewer resources for students, and more chaos—that’s the last thing our schools need, but it’s exactly what Trump is delivering.”
With strong opposition from Democrats and education advocates, the fight over the future of the Education Department is expected to intensify in Congress in the coming months.
