Education Department closes offices in New York, Boston, Chicago amid Trump’s staff cuts, threatening access to federal education support.
As a first step toward dismantling the agency, President Trump has ordered the firing of over 1,300 workers from the Education Department in an effort to cut the organization’s personnel in half.
Department officials disclosed the reduction Tuesday, raising worries about the agency’s capacity to continue routine operations, AP News reports.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration offered buyouts to employees and fired probationary workers, further reducing the agency’s workforce. The Education Department said on Tuesday that it will be laying off around half of its 4,100 employees.
As part of his efforts to shrink the size of the federal government, Trump has ordered a massive reduction in staff, including layoffs. The Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other government agencies are preparing to lay off thousands of workers.
New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland are among the places where the government is reportedly ending leases.
Officials from the department assured the public that it will keep carrying out its essential duties, including the provision of federal help to schools, the management of student loans, and the oversight of Pell Grants.
Upon entering the agency, Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated her goal of reducing waste so that additional funding could be allocated to local education authorities.
It is imperative that the funds remain in the states, according to McMahon, who stated in a Fox News interview on Tuesday that numerous programs are truly outstanding.
On March 3, the day she was confirmed by the Senate, McMahon sent a message warning employees to prepare for significant layoffs. According to her, reducing wasteful bureaucracy and giving more power to the states was the department’s “final mission.”
On Tuesday, the department notified its staff via email that the Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed on Wednesday and would not be accessible. On Thursday, the offices will be open again. Undefined “security reasons” were the sole justifications offered for the closures.
The closure of the department was a campaign pledge of Trump’s, who said that “radicals, zealots and Marxists” had gained control of it. During her confirmation hearing, McMahon stated that the agency might use some cuts and restructuring, but she did concede that only Congress had the authority to eliminate it.
It has not yet been determined whether the cuts will have the impact that Democrats and activists are concerned about on America’s youngsters. Some worry that the agency’s most essential functions, such as managing the nation’s $1.6 trillion in student loans and enforcing civil rights for students with disabilities, have been neglected due to the administration’s agenda.
At her hearing, McMahon assured lawmakers that her goal is not to cut funding for essential programs but rather to find ways to make them more effective.
The Education Department was already one of the smaller Cabinet-level agencies prior to the layoffs. A government website states that 3,100 were based in Washington, DC, with an additional 1,100 working out of regional offices around the nation.
After a deferred resignation program and a $25,000 buyout offer that ended on March 3rd, the department’s employees felt mounting pressure to leave their jobs after Trump’s inauguration.
The cuts were vital and essential, according to Jeanne Allen of the Center for Education Reform, an organization that supports the expansion of charter schools.
“Ending incessant federal interference will free up state and local leaders to foster more opportunities to give schools and educators true flexibility and innovation to address the needs of students, wherever they are educated,” Allen stated.
The department’s assertion that the layoffs would have no impact on its functions was met with skepticism by several activists.
President Joe Biden’s former chief of staff in the Office of Postsecondary Education, Roxanne Garza, has said that she finds it completely impossible for such to be true.
Garza, who is now the head of higher education policy at Education Trust, a research and advocacy organization, said that most of the department’s work is labor intensive, including reviewing human rights complaints and helping families qualify for financial aid. Disclosing the fact that he simply cannot fathom how those aspects will remain unaffected by significantly reduced personnel.
Luis Gochoco is a seasoned managing editor and writer with over a decade of experience covering politics, technology, gaming, and entertainment news. With a keen eye for breaking stories and in-depth analysis, he has established himself as a trusted voice in digital journalism. Luis is one of the key forces behind the success of GameNGuide, contributing to 12 million views through engaging and high-traffic content. He also played a pivotal role in generating 8 million views on International Business Times, shaping the platform’s technology and gaming coverage.
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