President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at significantly reducing the Department of Education, raising concerns about the future of federally funded school initiatives. While the order calls for shifting oversight to individual states, the specifics of how programs like student loans, Pell Grants, and special education services will be managed remain unclear.
During the signing ceremony, Trump emphasized his administration’s commitment to shutting down the department entirely.
“My administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the department,” he said “We’re gonna shut it down as quickly as possible.”
However, fully eliminating the agency would require congressional approval, leaving uncertainty about whether lawmakers will support the effort.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon acknowledged the lack of clarity in the executive order, saying, “Well, certainly, the executive order did not specify what happens with any of the departments within education, so we are looking at where best those departments could be located.”
Although the administration has promised to preserve key funding sources, conflicting statements from White House officials and Trump have added to the confusion. Educators and policymakers continue to question how these programs will be administered without a centralized department overseeing them.
