(TheIndependentStar.com) – Federal bureaucracy has been dealt a massive blow after the Trump administration announced the decisive step to dramatically reduce the Department of Education’s workforce by half.
Nearly 2,100 employees will be affected by the massive staff reduction that begins March 21, 2025.
The move fulfills President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to streamline government and return educational control to states and local communities.
The Department of Education announced that over 1,300 employees received termination notices while 572 accepted buyouts, reducing the workforce from 4,133 to about 2,183.
The cuts are part of President Trump’s broader initiative to target “waste, fraud, and abuse” in federal agencies.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended the reductions, emphasizing that essential services will continue uninterrupted despite the staffing cuts.
Federal student loans, Pell Grants, and funding for students with disabilities will remain available.
The staff reductions affect all department divisions, including those overseeing protected programs.
When the layoffs were announced, department buildings were temporarily closed for security purposes, and employees were instructed to vacate their offices.
“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” McMahon stated.
“I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system,” she added.
Established in 1979 during the Carter administration, the Education Department has grown into a massive bureaucracy with an annual budget of around $238 billion.
Conservative critics have long argued that the department overreaches into state and local education matters.
President Trump himself has specifically criticized it for “indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political content.”
While liberal teachers’ unions and Democrats have predictably condemned the cuts as “draconian” and “an attack on opportunity,” many conservatives and education reform advocates have applauded the move as long overdue.
The American Federation of Government Employees and the National Education Association, both left-leaning organizations, expressed outrage at the reduction.
They highlighted the growing divide between big-government advocates and those seeking to return educational power to parents and local communities.
The administration has promised that laid-off employees will receive normal pay and benefits until June 9, along with appropriate severance or retirement compensation.
The White House is reportedly considering an executive order to further reduce the department’s functions, though completely dismantling the agency would require congressional approval.
For many supporters and conservative education advocates, the cuts fulfill decades-long calls to reduce federal control over education.
The move will also return decision-making authority to the state and local levels, where 87% of primary and secondary school funding originates.
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