US President Donald Trump is expected to sign an order Thursday aiming to dismantle the Department of Education, fulfilling a long-held goal of American conservatives.
The order, which several media outlets on Wednesday reported would be signed during a White House ceremony, comes as efforts are already underway in the department to drastically downsize its staffing and slash funding.
Trump’s education secretary, former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon, issued a memo shortly after her swearing in on March 3 saying the agency would be beginning its “final mission.”
The next week, she moved to halve the department’s staff.
Trump, 78, promised to decentralize education as he campaigned for a return to the White House, saying he would devolve the department’s powers to state governments, as desired for decades by many Republicans.
Traditionally, the federal government has had a limited role in education in the United States, with only about 13 percent of funding for primary and secondary schools coming from federal coffers, the rest being funded by states and local communities.
But federal funding is invaluable for low-income schools and students with special needs. And the federal government has been essential in enforcing key civil rights protections for students.
The order directs McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate” the department’s closure, according to a copy seen by Politico, which reported several Republican governors would be attending the ceremony.
Several key programs are to be spared, such as those providing grants to university students and funding for low-income schools across the country, multiple outlets reported.
Such an order has been widely expected after a circulating draft was obtained by media outlets shortly after McMahon took over.
By law, the Education Department, created in 1979, cannot be shuttered without the approval of Congress and Republicans do not have the votes to push that through.
However, as with other federal agencies under Trump’s second administration, the department is likely to see further cuts to programs and employees, which could significantly cripple its work.
The moves are being spearheaded by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), whose rapid actions have met pushback in courts for possibly exceeding executive authority.
A similar move to dismantle the US Agency for International Development was halted on Monday by a federal judge, who said the push likely violated the Constitution.
McMahon, after she ordered the halving of her staff, told Fox News it was a step toward fulfilling Trump’s demand that she “put herself out of a job.”
“His directive to me, clearly, is to shut down the Department of Education, which we know we’ll have to work with Congress, you know, to get that accomplished,” she said.
