President Trump stated that certain functions will be “fully preserved” and transferred to other agencies.
President Trump’s executive order on dismantling the Department of Education (DOE) will spare some programs deemed critical by the administration.Why It Matters
Since its founding in 1979, the DOE has overseen federal education policy, administering funding to states and school districts, enforcing civil rights protections, and conducting research on educational institutions across the country.
Despite Trump’s commitment to preserving “useful” programs, the move has already been met with criticism from lawmakers, as well as unions representing parents and teachers, who have argued that the department plays a crucial role in maintaining quality within the school system and promoting equal access to education.Which Functions Are Being Saved?
According to Trump’s speech on Thursday, a number of “useful functions” which fall under the DOE’s remit will be “preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments that will take very good care of them.”
The exact agencies to which these functions will be transferred has not yet been made clear by the administration. Trump previously suggested that the Small Business Administration could take control of federal student loan programs, the New York Times reported, adding that the Treasury was another option.
CNN, based on plans outlined in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 policy blueprint, said that programs relating to support for disabled students could be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services.
According to a statement from the department, quoted by ABC News, it will “continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview.
