It is the middle of January 2026, and the halls of the U.S. Department of Education are feeling a little... empty. If you’ve been following the news lately, you know it’s not just a slow start to the year. Secretary Linda McMahon is currently on a cross-country sprint—her "Returning Education to the States" tour—and she isn’t just shaking hands. She is full-on defending a budget that looks like it went through a commercial-grade paper shredder.
People are calling it a "dismantling." McMahon calls it "right-sizing."
Honestly, the numbers are pretty staggering. We’re talking about a proposed $12 billion cut—about 15.3% of the department's total discretionary budget. For anyone keeping score at home, that brings the department's funding down to roughly $66.7 billion for the 2026 fiscal year. During her recent stops in Georgia and North Carolina, McMahon hasn't blinked. She’s leaning into the idea that the federal government needs to get out of the way.
Why the Secretary is Doubling Down on the Cuts
You’ve probably heard the catchphrase "dollars to students, not bureaucracy" a thousand times by now. But for McMahon, it’s basically the mission statement. She argues that the federal government has dumped trillions into a system where student outcomes haven't moved the needle in decades.
"We’ve lost the fundamental basics," she said during her testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee. Her fix? Cut the red tape and send the power—and what's left of the money—back to the governors.
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One of the biggest moves in this budget is the consolidation of 18 different K-12 grant programs into one single "Simplified Funding Program." It’s a $2 billion block grant. The idea is that instead of local districts begging D.C. for 18 different pots of money with 18 different sets of rules, they just get one check. But there’s a catch: that $2 billion block grant represents a $4.5 billion cut compared to what those programs used to cost individually.
The Programs Getting the Ax
It isn't just "administrative waste" getting trimmed. The 2026 budget proposal targets some long-standing programs that have enjoyed bipartisan support for years. If you’re a student or a parent, these names probably ring a bell:
- TRIO and GEAR UP: These are gone. Completely zeroed out in the proposal. These programs were designed to help low-income and first-generation students get into college. McMahon's take? She thinks colleges and universities should be doing this outreach themselves with their own money.
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG): Also on the chopping block. The administration claims these grants actually drive up college costs and fund "radical leftist ideology."
- Federal Work-Study: This one is taking a massive $980 million hit. The administration wants to shift the responsibility for work-study to the states and individual campuses.
The "Skinny Budget" and the Winding Down Strategy
You might be wondering: can she even do this? It's a fair question. To actually close the Department of Education, you need an Act of Congress. But as McMahon has shown over the last year, you can do a lot of damage—or "restructuring," depending on your view—without a new law.
The department has already halved its staff. States are reporting delays in getting reimbursed for funds because there simply aren't enough people left in D.C. to process the paperwork. McMahon has been very transparent about this: she views herself as the "final Secretary of Education." The "Skinny Budget" released in early 2025 was the roadmap, and the 2026 proposal is the follow-through.
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What about the money that stays?
It’s not all cuts. There are a few areas where the money is actually growing, which tells you exactly where the administration's priorities lie:
- Charter Schools: The budget includes a $60 million increase for high-quality charter schools, bringing that total to $500 million.
- Patriotic Education: McMahon is heavily promoting the "History Rocks! Trail to Independence" tour. They are using grant competitions to push for a "pro-American" civic curriculum ahead of the country's 250th birthday in July 2026.
- Title I and IDEA: Funding for low-income schools and special education is largely being maintained, but it’s being "streamlined" into those new formula grants we talked about earlier.
The Fierce Pushback
Not everyone is buying the "return to the states" logic. Representative Rosa DeLauro, a heavy hitter on the House Appropriations Committee, told McMahon point-blank: "You will not have the partnership of Congress in your efforts to destroy the Department of Education."
Critics argue that by cutting programs like TRIO and Work-Study, the government is essentially pulling the ladder up for low-income students. There’s also a huge concern about the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). That office is facing a 35% budget cut, even as it’s being ordered to ramp up investigations into things like transgender athletes in school sports and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies.
McMahon’s response? A leaner OCR will be more "focused." She insists they can do more with less by cutting out "administrative confusion."
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What This Means for You Right Now
If you are a parent, a teacher, or a student, the "massive cuts" aren't just headlines; they are starting to feel very real. Here is the bottom line of what is actually happening on the ground:
The administration is essentially forcing a "DIY" model of education. If a program isn't explicitly protected by law, it’s being scrutinized for "waste." This means that if your local school relied on a specific federal grant for after-school programs or tech equipment, that money might be gone by the next school year.
Practical Next Steps for Parents and Educators:
- Audit Your Local Funding: Check with your school board to see which programs are funded by federal discretionary grants (like those 18 programs being consolidated).
- Engage at the State Level: Since the "Returning Education to the States" tour is literally moving the decision-making power to your state capital, your voice matters more at the state legislature than it does in D.C. right now.
- Monitor FAFSA and Financial Aid Changes: With the proposed elimination of SEOG and the shrinking of Work-Study, college financial aid packages for the 2026-2027 year could look significantly different. Keep a close eye on your "Student Aid Index" and look for state-based scholarships to fill the gaps.
The 2026 budget fight is basically a battle over the soul of American education. Whether you think it's a necessary pruning of a bloated bureaucracy or a reckless abandonment of the country's most vulnerable students, one thing is certain: Linda McMahon is not backing down.