U.S. Education Dept to lay off nearly half its staff
The U.S. Department of Education announced it will terminate nearly half its workforce, marking what officials described as the department's "final mission" and a potential first step toward complete dismantlement. The move aligns with President Donald Trump's pledge to eliminate the department entirely.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon confirmed on Fox News that the layoffs are intended to lead to the department's ultimate dissolution, stating that this "was the president's mandate." The department's workforce will be reduced from approximately 4,133 to 2,183 employees, with over 1,300 staff receiving redundancy notices and 572 accepting buyout offers.
Affected employees will be placed on administrative leave beginning March 21 and have been instructed to temporarily vacate their offices to facilitate reorganization. The union representing more than 2,800 department workers has vowed to fight what it termed "draconian cuts."
The Department of Education currently oversees $1.6 trillion in college loans, enforces civil rights laws in schools, and provides federal funding for disadvantaged districts. Critics warn that dismantling the department, established in 1980, could disproportionately impact vulnerable student populations, including those who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, non-English speaking, or from minority backgrounds.
While McMahon characterized the move as enhancing efficiency and increasing educational resource access at the state level, legal experts note that fully abolishing a federal department requires congressional approval, which may prove challenging in the current political landscape.
These layoffs are part of a broader government downsizing effort led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has already eliminated more than 100,000 jobs across the 2.3 million-member federal civilian workforce, frozen most foreign aid, and canceled thousands of programs and contracts.
