In March 2025, the Trump administration began a sweeping effort to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Through an executive order, President Trump directed Secretary Linda McMahon to take all “permissible steps” to wind down the department’s operations and return power over education to states and local communities. While fully closing the department would require congressional action, which remains unlikely, the administration has already significantly reduced its functioning.
One of the most immediate and dramatic changes was the reduction in staffing. Between March and June 2025, the department cut approximately 2,000 employees, shrinking the workforce by nearly 50 percent from around 4,133 to just over 2,183. Over 1,300 workers received layoff notices, while nearly 600 others accepted early retirement packages or buyouts valued at up to $25,000. Many were placed on paid administrative leave through the end of the school year.
The cuts were not evenly distributed across offices. The Office for Civil Rights lost more than 40 percent of its personnel, weakening the department’s ability to process complaints related to discrimination, disability services, and Title IX. The Institute of Education Sciences, which includes the National Center for Education Statistics, lost 62 percent of its staff. Experts have raised alarms that these cuts will severely delay national education data collection and cripple federal research.
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services and the Office of English Language Acquisition were nearly dismantled. This has raised serious concerns about the federal government’s ability to monitor and support compliance with laws protecting students with disabilities and English learners.
The Department of Education also oversees a student loan portfolio valued at more than 1.6 trillion dollars, serving over 40 million borrowers. With a dramatically reduced staff, loan management is expected to face significant disruptions, including slower processing times, customer service delays, and possible errors.
Although major funding programs like Title I, Pell Grants, and IDEA are protected by law, critics argue that there is no longer sufficient federal capacity to ensure those funds are distributed fairly and equitably. A coalition of 21 state attorneys general has filed lawsuits alleging that the staffing reductions violate statutory mandates and hinder the department’s constitutional obligations.
Public reaction has been largely negative. A March 2025 national poll found that 63 percent of Americans opposed dismantling the department, with 48 percent strongly opposed. Advocates such as American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten have called the move “an attack on opportunity,” pointing out that millions of students rely on federal support that may now be unavailable or delayed.
Even if the department is not formally eliminated, its capacity to function as a national education leader has already been dramatically reduced. The long-term consequences for students, especially those from marginalized communities, may be severe unless significant legal or political changes intervene.
Read More:
Ed. Dept. Will Shed Nearly Half Its Staff in Massive Reduction Under Trump – Education Week
This Education Department Official Lost His Job. Here’s What He Says Is at Risk – Time
US education department to lay off 1,300 people as Trump vows to close agency – The Guardian