Trump to cut about 50% of Education Department staff as workers told to stay home

Roughly half of the employees at the U.S. Department of Education will be terminated as the agency moves forward with mass layoffs, an administration official said.  

About 2,100 workers will start receiving termination notices Tuesday, the official said. In a press release Tuesday night, the Education Department confirmed the cuts, which come as President Donald Trump is considering an executive order attempting to dismantle the agency.

Linda McMahon, the newly installed education secretary, called the cuts a "significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system."

"Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” she said in a statement Tuesday night. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department."

She stressed that the agency would continue to deliver funding mandated by law. Federal student loans, Pell Grants and funding for students with special needs would continue flowing, she said. 

But she also said that all of the department's divisions – including the offices that oversee the programs she said will be protected – are affected by the layoffs. 

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An email sent to employees at 1 p.m. on Tuesday instructed workers at offices in Washington, D.C., to vacate by 6 p.m. "for security reasons." The email, obtained by USA TODAY, said all Education Department buildings in the nation's capital and across the country would be closed on Wednesday and would reopen Thursday.

The message did not provide any other details on the reasons for the one-day closures, and spokespeople for the Education Department did not immediately respond to questions on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department said Tuesday that law enforcement was unaware of security issues at the Education Department's main headquarters, or the Federal Student Aid office. A spokesperson for the city's Fire and Emergency Medical Service Department also said no concerns had been reported at the locations.

Some staffers immediately suspected the closure was related to an impending workforce reduction, according to four employees who declined to be identified for fear of retribution. An agency-wide email offering $25,000 buyouts on Feb. 28 warned of "very significant" cuts coming to the agency's workforce.

Sheria Smith, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, a union representing more than 2,800 workers at the Education Department, denounced the cuts as "draconian" in a statement on Tuesday. 

"Do you need financial aid for college? Are you a fellow civil servant that relies on student loan forgiveness? Does your school district offset property taxes with federal funding? If yes, then you rely on the Department of Education, and the services you rely on and the employees who support them are under attack," she said. 

President Donald Trump does not have the unilateral authority to dismantle federal agencies. Congressional approval would be needed to shutter the Education Department, whose functions are protected by statutes.

USA TODAY reported in early February that the White House was mulling an executive action related to the future of the Education Department. A preliminary draft of the executive order obtained by USA TODAY directed Linda McMahon to dismantle her agency to "the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law."

The agency, which has long been the target of conservative ire, is already reeling from waves of employee suspensions, resignations and broader policy shifts affecting students and schools.