- Executive order draft mandates Education Secretary to begin dissolution process
- Requires congressional approval unlikely to pass Senate threshold
- Critics warn of $12B in annual grants at risk for low-income and disabled students
- New policy would terminate federal diversity initiatives in schools
- 50+ department staff already placed on administrative leave
President Trump’s sweeping executive order to dismantle the Department of Education marks his most aggressive push to date for state-controlled education systems. The draft directive, obtained by multiple sources, tasks Secretary Linda McMahon with initiating closure procedures while emphasizing compliance with existing federal statutes. Legal experts confirm that without bipartisan Senate support, the order faces immediate constitutional roadblocks.
Education analysts predict chaotic ripple effects if the 43-year-old agency dissolves. Programs serving 7 million students with disabilities through IDEA and 25 million low-income children via Title I funding would require state-level contingency plans. California’s Department of Education recently modeled a prototype takeover, revealing a 14-month timeline and $3.2B in transitional costs – a framework other states might replicate.
The order’s prohibition on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives follows the department’s controversial EndDEI.Ed.Gov portal launch. Civil rights advocates argue this creates enforcement gaps, particularly for Title IX gender equity protections. “States like Texas and Florida already struggle with campus discrimination cases,” notes UCLA policy director Mara Linetti. “Federal oversight withdrawal could reverse 30 years of progress.”
McMahon’s corporate restructuring background faces its ultimate test as she navigates complex grant reallocations. Her Monday memo to staff emphasized “streamlining bureaucracy to empower families,” though current employees describe rushed office closures. Department veterans suggest the push aligns with growing parental rights movements, potentially accelerating school choice legislation in 18 Republican-led states.
While supporters praise the move as overdue decentralization, education economists warn of widening resource gaps. Rural districts relying on federal subsidies for technology upgrades and meal programs could see 40% budget cuts by 2026, according to Brookings Institution projections. The administration counters that states will gain flexibility to partner with private vocational programs and charter networks.