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The future of the United States Department of Education is now at risk, as efforts to eliminate it gain momentum. Changes under President Donald Trump‘s administration seemed inevitable, given his recent history of making cuts to various federal departments. During his 2024 election campaign, he also vowed to “drain the government education swamp” and “stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth with all sorts of things that you don’t want to have our youth hearing.” Trump also emphasized his desire to “move education back to the states,” according to CNN.
After winning the election, Trump nominated former WWE co-founder Linda McMahon to serve as the next U.S. Secretary of Education. Now approved as of March 3, McMahon is set to begin the process of dismantling the department, as outlined in an executive order prepared by White House officials, The Wall Street Journal reports.
To learn more about the purpose of the Department of Education and the number of employees it currently oversees, keep reading.
What Is the Department of Education?
The U.S. Department of Education is a cabinet-level agency in the government. According to the department’s website, its focus is to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access for students of all ages.”
“During Career and Technical Education Month, we reaffirm our belief in excellence by putting America first and investing in the best training and retraining opportunities that will result in a stronger workforce and a booming economy.” — @POTUS
America is back! 🇺🇸
— U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) February 3, 2025
What Does the Department of Education Do?
The department oversees several aspects of education in America, including the following: policies on federal financial aid used for education, collecting data and conducting relevant research on schools, focusing public attention on educational issues and prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education for all students.
Per the department’s official website, education is a state and local responsibility across the U.S., and 92 percent of funds for elementary and secondary education comes from the states, while just 8 percent originates from the federal level.
How Many Employees Does the Department of Education Have?
According to NPR, the Department of Education employees around 4,400 people and has an annual budget of $79 billion. The outlet further reported that the Trump administration put “dozens” of department staff on paid leave, just as he did with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) workers in the government earlier this year.
Can Trump Dismantle the Department of Education?
Trump signed multiple executive orders when he took office for the second time in January 2025. In a forthcoming action, the president plans to make significant cuts to the department, according to multiple outlets. While he can modify the department, removing it entirely would take an act of Congress. The department was established by an act of Congress in 1979. As part of the changes within the department of education, Trump can likely cut certain programs that were not created by Congress, according to NPR.
In the draft of the order reported on March 5, McMahon is instructed to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” based on “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
The order also outlines the reasoning for the closure, stating, “Since its founding in 1979, the Department of Education has spent more than $1 trillion without producing virtually any improvement in student reading and mathematics scores.”
