President Donald Trump initiated plans to dismantle the Education Department on Friday, transferring responsibilities for federal student loans and programs for students with disabilities to other agencies. The executive order signed by Trump did not provide a specific timeline or instructions, but it indicated an intention to retain only essential department operations.
Under the new plan, the Small Business Administration will handle student loans, with Trump expressing confidence that this change will lead to improved service. Programs for students with disabilities will be shifted to the Department of Health and Human Services. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced that core department operations will be relocated to other agencies, and federal regulations will be rolled back.
The decision to abolish the department will be a gradual process, according to McMahon. She emphasized the systematic unwinding of regulations and the eventual transfer of the department’s functions to states or other agencies. These functions include distributing federal funds to support low-income students and students with disabilities, managing student financial aid, enforcing civil rights, and collecting data.
While only Congress has the authority to completely eliminate the Education Department, Republican lawmakers are working on legislation to achieve this goal despite opposition from Democrats. Critics argue that the move will have negative consequences, such as larger class sizes and fewer after-school programs, particularly affecting students who rely on federal support.
Trump has criticized the Education Department as inefficient and influenced by liberal ideology, advocating for a shift of power to states to improve the education system. The order states that the department lacks the capacity to manage its loan portfolio and should relinquish those functions to better serve students.
Conservatives have long advocated for the closure of the Education Department, viewing it as an unnecessary bureaucratic layer burdening local schools. The agency’s responsibilities include managing a $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio, disbursing funds to public schools, and administering student financial aid programs like Pell grants and FAFSA. The aim of the restructuring is to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance educational outcomes for students across the country.
Since its establishment in 1979, the Department of Education has seen stagnant student test scores despite significant spending totaling $1 trillion, as noted by McMahon in her Fox News article. McMahon acknowledged the unusual nature of her role in overseeing the closure of the department she leads, recognizing it as a transformative endeavor guided by the American people’s desire to empower states in education and the election of President Donald Trump. This mission is far from ordinary, she emphasized.___The Associated Press’ education reporting is generously supported by various private foundations. The AP bears full responsibility for its content. For information on the AP’s guidelines for collaboration with philanthropic organizations, a list of supporters, and the coverage areas funded by them, visit AP.org.
