President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing officials to begin shutting down the U.S. Department of Education, a move that would return education authority to states and local governments.
The order, published on the White House website, instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take “all necessary steps” to begin the process of dismantling the department and transferring its responsibilities.
“The experiment in controlling American education through federal programs and dollars — and the inexplicable bureaucracy that those programs and dollars support — has clearly failed,” the order states.
“The Department of Education has strengthened the education bureaucracy and tried to convince America that federal control over education is beneficial.”
Trump signed the order in a ceremony at the White House, joined by teachers and schoolchildren. The students sat at desks around the president and signed mock executive orders alongside him, Reuters reports.
Trump Blames Bureaucracy and Overspending
In his remarks, Trump pointed out that the Department of Education was created in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter.
“Forty-five years later, the United States spends more money on education than any other country, and spends more money per student than any other country. Yet we are at the bottom of the list in terms of success,” he said.
He also criticized the department’s operating costs, saying the public relations division alone costs over $10 million a year.
Trump highlighted the department’s role in managing the federal student loan program, which he said now exceeds $1.6 trillion in outstanding loans.
“The Department of Education is not a bank, and it should transfer its banking functions to an organization capable of serving American students,” he added.
“This order is the first step towards the liquidation of the Department of Education.”
Abolition Requires Congressional Approval
The executive order sets the plan in motion, but closing the department entirely will require approval from Congress. Specifically, 60 Senate votes are needed to pass such legislation—meaning at least seven Democrats would have to support it, which remains unlikely.
Still, Trump is moving forward.
Since returning to the White House, his administration has already cut the department’s workforce in half. It now has around 4,400 employees, making it the smallest federal department in the U.S. government.
Eliminating the Department of Education has been a long-held goal among many conservatives, who argue that education decisions should be handled locally, not federally.
Critics of the move argue that it could disrupt key programs, such as student financial aid, special education funding, and civil rights enforcement in schools.
The order does not provide a clear timeline for closure, but it does call for a gradual transfer of responsibilities.
More details are expected in the coming weeks from the Education Secretary.
