Why Trump might intend to close the US Department of Education

On Wednesday, March 5, The Wall Street Journal reported that "people briefed on the matter" said that US President Donald Trump was expected to issue an executive order abolishing the Education Department.

Trump has been talking about closing the department for years as part of his broader plan to shrink the federal government. Linda McMahon, a former professional wrestling promoter, was confirmed by the US Senate on Monday to serve as the department's new Education Secretary. When McMahon took the position, Trump had stated last month that he wanted her "to put herself out of a job."

The move, like many other aspects of Trump's policies, stems from his antipathy to liberal or progressive ideals. "Parents have seen schools purposefully obstruct parental oversight while indoctrinating their children in radical, anti-American ideologies in recent years," reads an executive order titled "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," which was released on January 29.

Additionally, several well-known states have outlawed the teaching of particular works pertaining to gender and race in schools. Among other reasons, even internationally acclaimed books like John Green's Looking for Alaska and Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner have been taken down due to their sexual content. These restrictions have been attacked and challenged in court by progressive unions and Democrats.

Closing the DoE will need a more involved process, despite the fact that Trump has regularly utilized presidential executive orders to forward his goals. At her confirmation hearing, McMahon said, "I think our senators and our Congress could support a plan that would have a better functioning Department of Education," adding that abolishing the department "certainly does require congressional action."

It would also need to be approved by the US Senate, which has 100 seats and two representatives from each of the 50 US states. A total of 60 votes would be needed to pass the measure. At the moment, Republicans hold 53 seats.

According to the department's official website, education in the United States is primarily the responsibility of states and local governments. The federal government, which includes funds from the Department of Education (ED) and other federal agencies, provides funding for around 8% of elementary and secondary education.

In 1980, Congress established the Department of Education as a Cabinet-level agency. Presently, its primary and secondary programs annually serve more than 50 million students enrolled in over 18,200 school districts' 98,000 public and 32,000 private institutions. Its programs also provide grant, loan, and work-study help to over 12 million postsecondary students.

The Trump administration is continuing to take action to reduce the department's scope and size, even though the path to closure may be challenging. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has slashed $900 million in contracts for a department that monitors student progress in American schools.