The US Education Department announced Tuesday that it is cutting nearly 50% of its workforce, as President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the agency altogether.
Hundreds will be laid off starting Tuesday evening, in addition to those who took voluntary “buyouts.” Those actions will cut the department’s workforce of about 4,100 at the start of the Trump administration in half.
“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,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department.
McMahon said later Tuesday that the reductions are the first course of action in shutting down the agency, which Trump has vowed to do, although she acknowledged that fully eliminating the department would require Congress to act. CNN reported last week that White House officials have prepared an executive order directing McMahon to begin the process of dismantling the department.
Asked on Fox News whether the layoffs were “the first step to a total shutdown,” McMahon said, “Yes, actually it is, because that was the president’s mandate as directed to me clearly is to shut down the Department of Education.” She went on to describe the layoffs as “eliminating what I think is bureaucratic bloat.”
The roughly 1,300 employees notified of their layoff will be terminated in 90 days, according to senior agency officials. Those fired will begin teleworking starting Wednesday and go on paid administrative leave starting March 21, the officials said, adding that the employees will receive severance pay based on the length of their service.
The cuts are in addition to the 63 probationary employees who were fired as part of a White House directive last month, the officials added. More than 300 employees also took voluntary separation incentives worth up to $25,000 while about 260 accepted a deferred resignation package.