Trump dismantles Education Department, will ‘fully preserve’ programs

(The Center Square) – In a move that will undoubtedly incite legal challenges, President Donald Trump dismantled the U.S. Department of Education via executive order Thursday, sending education policy back to the state level.

The long-promised, controversial order preserves and redistributes the Education department’s responsibilities to other federal agencies and departments. Education Secretary Linda McMahon will facilitate the closure process.

“After 45 years, the United States spends more money on education, by far, than any other country,” Trump said in a pre-signing speech. “But yet, we rank near the bottom of the list in terms of success. It’s an amazing stat. Those are the two stats you don’t want: the most money spent per pupil and you’re at the bottom of the list. And that’s where we are, like it or not, and we’ve been there for a long time.”

Since its founding in 1979, the Education department has spent $3 trillion taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, U.S. students rank 28 out of 37 member countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and standardized test scores have remained flat for decades.

Trump claimed that education costs “probably will be half” after the closure process completes, though that is in question depending on how many of the agencies’ programs Trump retains.

Legal experts say that approval from Congress is needed to fully close the department or cut program funding, since the department was codified in 1979 via congressional legislation signed by President Jimmy Carter.

The department ensures compliance with Title IX and federal civil rights laws, collects school data, and oversees the massive federal student loan and grant programs for higher education, including Pell Grants and $1 trillion in outstanding FAFSA loans.

It is also responsible for roughly 10% of the nation’s funding of public education, with the vast majority of funding coming from state and local taxes.

Supporters of the action say Trump is returning education to states, local governments, and parents, rather than mandating a one-size-fits-all approach to childhood education.

“This is the natural, unstoppable evolution of the parental empowerment movement sparked amid the pandemic lockdowns. The states are ready for it, and they’ve been clamoring for it,” American Legislative Exchange Council CEO Lisa Nelson said Thursday. “By putting the states back in charge of this funding, students, families, and teachers will be put first – rather than the bloated bureaucracy in Washington, DC.”

But opponents of the order blasted it as an unconstitutional, reckless move that will cause property taxes to spike in every state and could cause struggling schools to close.

Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., accused Trump of “betraying” students and teachers.

“The ripple effects will be devastating: school budgets will be slashed, academic and extracurricular programs will be cut, classroom sizes will grow larger, school libraries will have fewer resources, and students will fall behind,” Clark said. “This twisted version of the Republican Party will stop at nothing to help the rich get richer. And this time, it’s our children who are paying the price.”

A Marist poll in early March showed that 63% of U.S. residents either oppose or strongly oppose getting rid of the U.S. Department of Education, while 37% of residents either strongly support or support abolishing the department.