Donald Trump Plans To Shut Down Education Department

United States President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday to shut down the U.S. Education Department. This action aligns with his commitment to eliminating an agency that has been criticized by many conservatives for years.

A White House official, who spoke anonymously, shared this information before the official announcement.

Trump has often described the Education Department as wasteful and influenced by liberal ideas. However, finalizing its dismantling is likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979 and would require lawmakers’ approval to be eliminated.

The Trump administration has already begun reducing the agency’s size through layoffs and program cuts. The workforce is being reduced by half, and significant budget cuts have been made to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which collects data on the nation’s academic progress.

According to a White House official, this effort is part of advancing a campaign promise to eliminate an agency that has long been a target for conservatives.

The Trump cannot simply close down the department on his own; he needs approval from Congress, which might be hard to get. Although Republicans have more seats in the Senate, their majority is not large enough to pass big changes like getting rid of a government agency without support from Democrats. Specifically, they would need at least seven Democrats to join them, as passing such significant legislation requires 60 votes in total.

The department sends billions of dollars a year to schools and oversees $1.6 trillion in federal student loans.

Much of the agency’s work focuses on financial management—overseeing its extensive student loan portfolio and various aid programs for colleges and school districts, including school meals and support for homeless students. The agency also plays a crucial role in enforcing civil rights.

Federal funding makes up only a small portion of public-school budgets, roughly 14%. The money often supports supplemental programs for vulnerable students, such as the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students or Title I for low-income schools.

So far, Senate Democrats have not shown any willingness to support the idea of abolishing the department.