The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Trump Administration to move forward with plans to dismantle the Department of Education, temporarily lifting a lower court’s block on layoffs and reinstating a March executive order calling for the department’s closure.
The unsigned order, issued on Monday, gives the administration the green light to resume job cuts affecting nearly 1,400 employees. Their dismissals, initially halted in May, are now expected to take effect from August 1.
President Donald Trump hailed the decision as a “major victory for parents and students,” saying the Supreme Court had cleared the way for education policy to return to the states. Education Secretary Linda McMahon echoed his sentiments, calling the ruling a “significant win” and reiterating her commitment to devolving federal oversight of education.
“This confirms the President’s authority over executive agencies,” McMahon said in a statement. “We can now move ahead with reorganizing and reassigning responsibilities.”
However, fully eliminating the Department of Education—which was established in 1979—would require an act of Congress, and support remains far from unanimous. A previous attempt to shut the department down was voted down by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including 60 House Republicans.
Still, McMahon told The Wall Street Journal she plans to continue breaking down the department’s functions, potentially transferring key programs to agencies like the Departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, and Treasury.
Critics say the Supreme Court’s ruling could severely undermine public education in the U.S., particularly for low-income students and those with disabilities.
“The justices have dealt a devastating blow to the promise of public education for all children,” said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, which represented one of the groups challenging the layoffs.
Among the biggest concerns is the future of Title I funding, an $18 billion program that provides critical support to schools serving children from low-income families. Education advocates fear that transferring the program to block grants could lead to misuse or underfunding at the state level.
Trump has also proposed relocating the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs—worth $15 billion annually—to HHS, sparking backlash from advocacy groups who warn the move could revert inclusion efforts and shift educational support into a medical framework.
Additionally, the Federal Student Aid office, which currently manages nearly $1.6 trillion in student loans for about 43 million Americans, faces an uncertain future. Trump has suggested shifting loan administration to the Small Business Administration, itself undergoing staffing cuts.
Peter Granville, a fellow at The Century Foundation, called the proposal “a recipe for chaos,” cautioning that dismantling the department without a clear plan could severely disrupt services relied upon by millions of students and borrowers.
As the Trump Administration proceeds with its controversial plans, the ruling marks a pivotal moment in reshaping federal education policy—one that critics say risks leaving the most vulnerable students behind.
