New Executive Order Directs Secretary of Education to Facilitate the Department’s Closure
March 24, 2025
At a Glance
On March 20, President Trump issued an executive order (EO) aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education (ED or the Department). The EO directs the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education” to “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
Fully eliminating the Department, however, would require additional congressional action, as ED and its primary offices and functions are established in various statutes. Nonetheless, the Department’s operations have already been significantly impacted by a reduction in force effectuated on March 11, affecting a broad range of its offices and functions.
The EO does not include detailed guidance regarding how the Department’s functions would be reallocated or reassigned to other agencies, although the administration has indicated certain intentions in that regard. Educational institutions, accreditation agencies and other entities associated with ED should closely monitor new legislative developments and agency directives in the coming weeks.
