WASHINGTON (AP) — In a move to downsize the Education Department and in line with President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the agency, more than 1,300 employees are set to be laid off. Department officials announced on Tuesday that this decision, which aims to reduce staff by half, raises concerns about the agency’s ability to maintain regular operations. The Trump administration had already been reducing the agency’s workforce through buyouts and terminating probationary employees. Following the latest layoffs, the Education Department’s staff will be halved from its previous 4,100 to about 2,050, according to the agency.
These layoffs are part of a broader effort by Trump to shrink the federal government’s footprint, with thousands of job cuts expected across various agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration. The Education Department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland, as per officials.
Despite the downsizing, the department reassured that key functions like distributing federal aid to schools, managing student loans, and overseeing Pell Grants will continue uninterrupted. Education Secretary Linda McMahon emphasized the need to streamline operations to allocate more funds to local education authorities, stating that many programs are valuable and resources should be directed towards states.
McMahon warned employees of significant cuts in a memo issued on March 3, the day of her Senate confirmation. She expressed the department’s commitment to eliminating bureaucratic inefficiencies and devolving authority to states. Employees were notified of the closure of the Washington headquarters and regional offices on Wednesday for undisclosed “security reasons,” with plans to reopen on Thursday.
While Trump had campaigned on closing the department, McMahon, during her confirmation hearing, acknowledged that only Congress holds the power to abolish it, suggesting that reorganization and cuts might be necessary. The impact of these cuts on students, as feared by Democrats and advocates, remains uncertain, particularly concerning civil rights enforcement for students with disabilities and managing federal student loans worth $1.6 trillion.
Before the layoffs, the Education Department already had one of the smallest workforces among Cabinet-level agencies, with 3,100 employees in Washington and 1,100 in regional offices nationwide. Pressure for employees to leave their positions had been mounting since Trump took office, initially through a deferred resignation program and later through a buyout offer that expired on March 3.
Advocates like Jeanne Allen of the Center for Education Reform, which supports charter school expansion, view the cuts as necessary to reduce federal intervention and empower state and local leaders to create more opportunities.
Allen stated that there should be opportunities for schools and educators to have the flexibility and innovation needed to meet students’ needs, regardless of where they are being educated. Some advocates expressed doubt about the department’s assurance that its operations would not be affected by the layoffs. Roxanne Garza, who previously served as chief of staff in the Office of Postsecondary Education during President Joe Biden’s tenure, questioned the validity of this claim. She mentioned that many of the department’s tasks, such as handling civil rights complaints and assisting families with financial aid applications, require significant manpower. Garza, who now serves as the director of higher education policy at Education Trust, a research and advocacy group, raised concerns about how these responsibilities can be carried out effectively with a reduced staff. The Associated Press’ education reporting is backed by several private foundations, and the organization is accountable for its content. For more information on the AP’s guidelines for collaborating with philanthropic entities, a list of supporters, and the coverage areas funded by them, visit AP.org.
