Trump Signs Executive Order 14242 Directing Closure of the Department of Education

President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14242, "Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities," on March 20, 2025. The order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the states, while acknowledging that full elimination requires an act of Congress. By May 2026, OPM data showed the department had cut its workforce from roughly 4,200 to about 2,300 employees and offloaded more than 100 programs to other agencies.