Trump Orders Closure of Education Department, Returning Control to States

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to initiate the dismantling of the Department of Education. This decision will shift education decision-making back to individual states. The order, signed in the East Room of the White House, was attended by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton, each expressing their approval of the decision.

“I’ve spent the entire day in meetings at the White House and just entered the East Room for the signing of the Executive Order to close the Department of Education,” Patrick shared on X, expressing gratitude to Trump for diminishing federal oversight in education.

Although specific federal programs, including special education services and student loans, will be transferred to different departments, most education policy decisions will now be managed at the state and local levels.

The executive order comes after a workforce reduction on March 11, which decreased the department’s staff by almost 50%, from 4,133 to 2,183 employees. Over 600 employees resigned voluntarily, while 259 opted for deferred resignations.

The closure is per the recommendations from the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a conservative policy framework that Trump had sought to distance himself from. Nonetheless, the administration has since adopted its plans to reduce the size of federal agencies and remove national oversight of education.

With the order now in effect, McMahon is responsible for implementing all necessary measures to ensure the department’s closure. This represents one of the most notable changes in federal education policy in U.S. history