Why does Trump want to dismantle the Department of Education?

A key question heading into President-elect Donald Trump’s next term is the fate of the federal Department of Education – a Cabinet-level agency that he and other conservatives have said they want to abolish.

Is a dismantling possible? Yes. But Mr. Trump would need congressional approval to eliminate the department. Is it likely? That remains to be seen. Mr. Trump has nominated Linda McMahon, World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder and former president, to serve as Education secretary. Meanwhile, Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, has introduced a bill – the Returning Education to Our States Act – that would abolish the department.

This isn’t the first time negative headwinds have swirled around the agency. In 1867, President Andrew Johnson signed into law an Education Department designed to collect data about America’s schools. A year later, it was downgraded to an Office of Education because of concerns about how much control it would have over schools.

The Education Department, as it exists today, dates back to 1979, when Congress passed a law establishing it. The move followed several decades of expanded federal funding for education, fueled by Cold War-era concerns as well as efforts to create a more level playing field among students of all races, genders, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities. Today, the department’s spending totals less than 3% of the $9.7 trillion spent by the federal government at the end of its most recent fiscal year. 

Ronald Reagan, as president, called for the department to be abolished. His efforts did not gain traction in Congress, though. Now, the issue has been raised again.

Why do Mr. Trump and others want to eliminate the Education Department?

During a recent interview with Time magazine, Mr. Trump shed new light on his campaign promise. “We want to move the schools back to the states,” he said. Pressed on what he meant, he explained it would be “a virtual closure” of the department. 

“You’re going to need some people just to make sure they’re teaching English in the schools,” Mr. Trump said. “English and mathematics, let’s say.”

The soon-to-be president has essentially described the idea as a fiscally smart move that would pay dividends academically.

“We’re at the bottom of every list in terms of education, and we’re at the top of the list in terms of the cost per pupil. ... We’ll spend half the money on a much better product,” he told the magazine.

Luxembourg and Norway typically rank at or near the top in terms of education spending. However, the United States does spend more on average than other countries, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. 

As for students’ academic skills, while the United States is not in the bottom tier compared with other nations, the math results from the Program for International Student Assessment drew particular concern last year. The 15-year-olds in the U.S. who took the PISA test in 2022 performed in the “average” range, but their scores placed them behind their peers in nations such as Singapore, China, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Discussion about abolishing the Education Department heated up last year on the campaign trail, especially in relation to Project 2025, the policy blueprint affiliated with the conservative Heritage Foundation. The project devotes an entire section to the idea of dismantling the Education Department.

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The policy summary advocates for a state-led education approach, with more parental choice and federal funding in the form of flexible block grants. During the campaign, Mr. Trump distanced himself from the project’s controversial proposals, but he has nominated a number of people with ties to it for high-ranking positions within his administration. 

Already, about 90% of school districts’ funding comes from state and local resources. School boards and state lawmakers also largely set the educational agenda by creating curriculum standards and determining how money is spent.

Academic experts say they are paying special attention to the influence of organized political groups as the Trump administration starts making education reforms.

“This is not just Linda McMahon executing her version of a Trump agenda,” says Jonathan Collins, assistant professor of politics and education at Teachers College, Columbia University. “This is Moms for Liberty at the table. This is Parents Defending Education at the table.”

What could be lost with “a virtual closure”?

The federal government’s role in education is “by and large, to provide extra support to states and districts for the neediest students,” says Robert Kim, executive director of the Education Law Center.

That mission takes shape in many forms. On the higher education side, a sizable contribution is through student financial aid such as direct loans, Pell Grants, or work-study programs. Those funds support the department’s mission of providing equal access to education, giving a pathway to postsecondary degrees for students who otherwise may not be able to afford them.

Senator Rounds’ bill proposes moving those programs to the Treasury Department. It’s unclear what changes to student financial aid, if any, Mr. Trump would support.

The Education Department also puts billions of dollars toward supporting disadvantaged students and children who qualify for special education services. That money flows to states in the form of grants, which are then distributed to local school districts. 

The Title I grant program, which helps schools serve children from low-income households, is one of the most recognizable examples. Schools use that money to bridge achievement gaps through initiatives such as extended school days, tutoring programs, and mental health support services. “Those extra dollars are crucial for districts of every political stripe – red or blue or purple,” Mr. Kim says. “It can’t be stressed enough how it’s really a backstop against the effects of poverty and other types of disadvantage.”

Does the Education Department have an accountability role?

Yes. The Every Student Succeeds Act – signed into law in 2015 – sets national K-12 education policy and holds states accountable for student performance. But compared with the No Child Left Behind Act, it provides more flexibility for states and school districts to meet those benchmarks.

The federal government’s oversight of higher education is more indirect. The Education Department approves accrediting agencies it deems worthy of determining academic quality. The department then publishes its list of approved accrediting agencies. Federal student aid can flow only to postsecondary programs, colleges, or universities that have been accredited by “nationally recognized” agencies.

The Education Department also houses an Office for Civil Rights, which enforces federal laws that prohibit discrimination in schools and higher education institutions on the basis of age, race, national origin, sex, and disability. In recent years, the office has seen an increase of complaints filed – 8,934 in fiscal year 2021, followed by 18,806 in fiscal year 2022, and 19,201 in fiscal year 2023.

Of course, accountability can’t happen without measurable data. That’s why another function of the department is to collect information and data, which then informs research and decision-making. The department houses information on everything from test scores to teacher salaries.