Honestly, the news cycle moves so fast these days that it's easy to miss the nuance between a campaign promise and a pen hitting paper. On March 20, 2025, President Trump did exactly what he’d been talking about on the trail for years: he signed an executive order aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.
He wants it gone. Basically, the goal is to "return education to the states," a phrase that sounds simple but hides a massive amount of logistical chaos.
At the signing ceremony in the East Room, flanked by Republican governors like Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott, Trump was blunt. He said the department is "doing us no good" and that it's time to "shut it down as quickly as possible." He even joked—or maybe he wasn't joking—that he hoped Education Secretary Linda McMahon would be the last person to ever hold that job.
But here is where things get kinda complicated. A president can’t just delete a cabinet-level department with a signature. It takes an act of Congress to actually kill the agency. So, if the law says it has to exist, how is the administration "slashing" it?
The "Dismantle from Within" Strategy
Since they can't legally close the doors today, the administration is doing the next best thing: they’re moving the furniture out while the lease is still active.
The executive order basically tells Secretary McMahon to offload as many programs as possible to other parts of the government. Think of it like a corporate spin-off. They’ve already started shifting billions of dollars in grants to the Department of Labor (DOL).
By November 2025, we saw six major interagency agreements. These aren't just minor tweaks. We’re talking about Title I funding—the money that helps schools in low-income neighborhoods—being handed over to the Department of Labor.
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It's a "proof of concept." If they can prove the programs still function under a different roof, it makes the argument for a total shutdown much easier to sell to a skeptical Congress.
What’s already moved?
- K-12 Grants: A huge chunk of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education is now effectively being run by the DOL.
- Indian Education: These programs are heading back to the Department of the Interior.
- Foreign Language Programs: The State Department is taking those over.
- Medical School Accreditation: That’s going to Health and Human Services (HHS).
The staff numbers tell the real story. Before all this started, the department had about 4,100 employees. By mid-2025, that number was hacked down to 2,200 through a mix of layoffs and buyouts. You can’t lose half your workforce without something breaking.
Will my student loans just... disappear?
This is the big question everyone asks. Short answer: No.
You still owe the money.
The Department of Education currently manages a $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio. That’s a massive financial asset for the government. They aren't going to just set it on fire.
Even if the department closes, the loans would likely be transferred to the Treasury Department or the Small Business Administration. The White House has been very careful to say that "critical functions" like student loans and Pell Grants will stay put for now. They know that messing with the checks going to millions of college students is a political third rail.
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However, the service might get a lot worse. If you’ve ever sat on hold for three hours with a loan servicer, imagine what happens when the department overseeing those companies has half the staff it used to.
The Battle Over DEI and "Radical Indoctrination"
It’s not just about the budget. This executive order is also a cultural tool.
Trump’s order specifically mandates that any program receiving federal funds must stop anything labeled as "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) or "gender ideology." If a school district doesn't comply, they risk losing their federal funding.
This puts local school boards in a tough spot. They have to choose between their state-mandated curriculum and the federal "patriotic education" standards being pushed by the new 1776 Commission. It’s a bit of a paradox: the administration says they want to give control back to the states, but they’re using federal money as a hammer to tell those states what they can and can't teach.
What about the kids with disabilities?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is one of the most important things the department handles. It’s what ensures a kid with autism or a physical disability gets the support they need in a regular classroom.
For now, IDEA funding is still flowing. It’s "formula-funded," meaning the money is locked in by law. But the oversight—the people who make sure schools are actually following the rules—is being gutted.
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Advocacy groups like the National Center for Learning Disabilities are worried. Without federal "guardrails," they fear we’ll end up with a "patchwork" system. One state might do a great job, while the state next door decides to cut corners because nobody from Washington is coming to check their homework.
Is this actually legal?
Attorneys general from nearly two dozen states don’t think so. They’ve already filed lawsuits to stop the layoffs, calling them unconstitutional.
The argument is basically that the President is trying to bypass Congress’s power of the purse. If Congress gave the Department of Education $80 billion to do a job, the President can’t just decide not to spend it or to fire everyone hired to do the work.
The Supreme Court did give Trump a win in July 2025, allowing some of the gutting to continue while the legal battles play out. It’s a mess.
Why this matters for your property taxes
Here is the thing most people forget: the federal government only provides about 10% of K-12 funding. The rest comes from your state and local taxes.
If the Department of Education disappears and Title I money gets turned into "block grants," states might get more freedom, but they might also get less money. If the federal tap dries up, your local school district has to find that money somewhere else.
Usually, that means your property taxes go up.
Actionable Steps for Parents and Students
The landscape of American education is shifting under our feet. Here’s how to stay ahead of it:
- Watch your state legislature: Since the goal is to move power to the states, your local state capital is now much more important than D.C. Follow bills related to "school choice" and "voucher programs," as those will likely be the primary recipients of redirected federal funds.
- Review your student loan servicer: If you have federal loans, keep meticulous records of your payments. With the Department of Education in flux, records can get lost during agency transfers. Ensure your contact information is updated on StudentAid.gov.
- Engagement at the Board level: If you have a child with an IEP or 504 plan, stay in close contact with your district's Special Education Director. Ask specifically how the "DEI and Gender Ideology" mandates are affecting local staff training or resource allocation to ensure your child's services aren't accidentally caught in the crossfire.
- Monitor Pell Grant updates: If you are a college student, keep an eye on your FAFSA status. While the funds are currently secure, the administrative processing times are expected to slow down significantly as staff numbers dwindle. Apply as early as possible for the 2026-27 school year.