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By Mandy Taheri
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President Donald Trump, sitting at a desk in front of over a dozen young students, signed an executive order on Thursday to begin "eliminating" the Department of Education (DOE) "once and for all," marking a major shift in federal oversight of schools.
Trump was joined by a handful of Republican governors, including Ron DeSantis, Greg Abbott, and Mike Braun, as well as other lawmakers advocating for the department's dismantling.
Why It Matters
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to eliminate the Department of Education, a goal also outlined in Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint from which he has repeatedly distanced himself. The president has pledged to return education authority to the states.
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In recent weeks, Trump has intensified efforts to dismantle the agency, suggesting that student loan programs could be reassigned to other departments if the agency is abolished. As part of a sweeping restructuring, nearly half the department's workforce is being laid off. He has repeatedly criticized the DOE as inefficient and dominated by liberal ideology.
Completely dissolving the agency would require congressional approval, as it was established by Congress in 1979. The executive order is expected to face several legal challenges as Democratic leaders and education advocacy groups vow to fight the measures in court.
During his announcement, Trump repeatedly stated that dismantling the Department of Education is extremely popular. However, a PBS News/NPR/Marist poll of 1,694 adults conducted between February 24 and 26 found that 64 percent of participants oppose/strongly oppose getting rid of the Department, while 37 percent back the move. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
What To Know
In a Thursday executive order, Trump directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to commence the process of "eliminating" the department. "Today, we take a very historic action," he said moments before signing the order.
The order instructs McMahon, who he hopes will be the "last" DOE secretary, to "preserve in full" certain essential programs, like Title I, Pell Grants, and resources for students with disabilities and special needs, while cutting others.
McMahon has repeatedly signaled she will carry out Trump's dismantling desires, having vowed to work with Congress on the initiative during her confirmation hearing.
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He called out the U.S. for spending "the most money per pupil" while being at the "bottom of the list," on various educational standards.
The president also addressed the department's reduction in force and announced it has cut "the number of bureaucrats in half."
"My administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the department, we're going to shut it down, and shut it down as quickly as possible. We want to return our students to the states," Trump announced.
The DOE oversees federal education policy, enforces civil rights laws in schools, and distributes billions of dollars in funding to K-12 and higher education institutions.
It manages $1.6 trillion in federal student loans and billions in funding for school programs, including school meals, support for homeless students, and civil rights enforcement. These programs account for around 14 percent of public school budgets, often supporting vulnerable students in school systems that critics say remain deeply unequal.
What People Are Saying
NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a March 20 statement: "Let's be clear — this executive order is unconstitutional, but to Donald Trump, the rule of law doesn't seem to matter. This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump."
War Room host Steve Bannon, a former Trump chief strategist, told Newsweek in March: "We've got such terrible results since DOE has been formed, just a group of education bureaucrats...Cut the tail-to-teeth ratio in the supply chain of education. We need more teachers in classrooms teaching, not turning into propaganda teachers—DOE should be dismissed and shut down. The lack of mathematical proficiency is a disgrace. We should put the power back in the school districts."
Representative Bobby Scott, ranking member on the House Committee on Education and Workforce, in a March 20 statement: "Legality aside, dismantling ED will exacerbate existing disparities, reduce accountability, and put low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, rural students, and English as a Second Language (ESL) students at risk...President Trump's executive order has little regard for the irreparable harm it would cause to students, educators, our future workforce, and parents, who are already struggling."
The National Parents Union, in a March 11 statement: "Without the Department of Education, there is no guarantee that our children will receive the public education they are entitled to. The Department exists to protect students' rights, enforce civil rights laws, and hold states accountable for delivering the education our kids deserve.
"Eliminating this critical infrastructure weakens our nation, erodes opportunity, and makes it even harder for families to advocate for the resources and support their children need."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday: "The Department of Education will be much smaller than it is today...When it comes to student loans and Pell Grants those will still be run out of the Department of Education, but we don't need to be spending more than $3 trillion over the course of a few decades on a department that's clearly failing."
Leavitt later wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "President Trump is delivering on his promise and returning power over education to families instead of bureaucrats. Federal government control of education has failed students, parents, and teachers...it's time for change."
National Education Association President Becky Pringle, in a February statement: "90% of American students and 95% of students with disabilities learn in our public schools. Eliminating the Department of Education is equivalent to giving up on our future. Strong public schools are essential to strong communities. Our students need more opportunities, more resources, and greater protections, not less."
The White House released a statement on March 20 about the order: "Instead of maintaining the status quo that is failing American students, the Trump Administration's bold plan will return education where it belongs—with individual states, which are best positioned to administer effective programs and services that benefit their own unique populations and needs."
What Happens Next
A coalition of 21 attorneys general last week filed to sue the administration over concerns of shuttering the Education Department and mass layoffs, arguing that it "incapacitates" department's ability to carry out its "statutorily mandated functions." More legal challenges are expected to be filed.
Trump's order will set the process in motion, but fully eliminating the DOE requires an act of Congress. His order pushes individual states to determine education policy.
Update 3/20/25, 5:03 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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