In a move that could signal the impending closure of the U.S. Department of Education, the department is preparing to lay off nearly half of its staff.

What Happened: The layoffs would reduce the department’s workforce to 2,183 from 4,133 when Trump took office, the department said in a release.

 Secretary of Education Linda McMahon confirmed on Fox News that the layoffs were in line with “the president’s mandate.”

The layoffs are part of a broader initiative by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) overseen by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. This also aligns with President Donald Trump‘s promise to dismantle the department responsible for overseeing nearly $1.6 trillion in student loans, enforcing civil rights laws in schools, and allocating federal funding to underprivileged districts.

While the complete removal of the Education Department would require congressional approval and 60 Senate votes, but the Trump administration can still implement changes, such as reducing staff, without shutting down the entire department.

While the Trump administration has not specified how it plans to redistribute the Education Department’s responsibilities, student loans may be transferred to the Treasury Department, reported CBS MoneyWatch citing Peter Granville, a fellow at The Century Foundation and expert on higher education.

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Why It Matters: DOGE has already cut over 100,000 jobs across the federal civilian bureaucracy and frozen most foreign aid. The layoff in the Department of Education comes on the heels of a recent report wherein DOGE quietly deleted or changed over 1,000 contracts from its so-called “wall of receipts,” erasing more than $4 billion in claimed savings for U.S. taxpayers. This raises questions about the effectiveness of Musk’s initiative to cut government waste and the accuracy of DOGE’s reporting.

The layoffs at the Department of Education and the potential closure of the department are significant developments in the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to downsize the government. However, these moves also raise concerns about the future of education funding and civil rights enforcement in schools.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.