Department of Education closure: What does this mean?

• The Department of Education will transfer many of its duties back to their original departments while working through Congress for a “lawful and orderly transition.” This comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order dissolving the scope of the department.
• Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said that closing the department will not cut off funds for K-12 students, students with special needs, college student loan borrowers, and others relying on essential programs.
• Title IX, enacted in 1972, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975 have been key in ensuring equal access to education and opportunities for all, including special education services for children with disabilities.

---

Full Story

In the coming weeks, the Education Department (ED) will work with Congress to transfer many of the department’s duties back to their original departments. This comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday, March 20, dissolving the scope of the department.

Thursday’s executive order has millions of Americans talking about the Department of Education. Trump’s order is aimed at closing the department to the maximum extent allowed by law, though Congress must approve closing the department entirely. 

“Closing the Department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them—we will continue to support K-12 students, students with special needs, college student borrowers, and others who rely on essential programs,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement following Thursday’s announcement. “We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”

History of the Department of Education

The origin of the ED dates back to 1867 when President Andrew Johnson signed legislation creating the department to collect data about the nation’s schools. Congress appropriated a $15,000 budget. Then, in 1868, lawmakers deemed the department would exercise too much control over local schools and demoted it to the Office of Education.

The Office of Education became a small department under the Department of Interior until 1939 when it was moved to the Federal Security Agency. In 1953, it was moved to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, which saw broad support and legislation.

In 1965 The Elementary and Secondary Education Act created Title I which provides supplemental financial assistance to school districts for children from low-income families. 

That same year the Higher Education Act was passed. It was designed to strengthen colleges and universities and provide financial assistance to post-secondary students, including through programs like Pell Grants and student loans. 

In 1972, Title IX was enacted, prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, ensuring equal access to education and opportunities for all.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975 made available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation. It ensures special education and related services to those children, supports early intervention services for infants, toddlers and their families, and awards competitive discretionary grants.

In 1976, President Jimmy Carter promised to create a Department of Education as part of his campaign platform. He lived up to that promise in 1979 when Congress passed legislation splitting off a new Department of Education from the existing Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

What doesn’t the ED control?

Since its creation, not all federal programs have been funded by the Department of Education. Head Start, which provides education-related services to preschool children from low-income families, is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The GI Bill, which helps military veterans and their family members pay for college and other types of education, is funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The primary federal agencies that provide research funding to colleges and universities are the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Department of Agriculture.