The Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building in Washington, D.C. was originally known as Federal Office Building No. 6 (Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons).
The U.S. Department of Education plans to lay off more than 1,300 employees, cutting its staff in half—part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to shrink the federal government. The move raises serious concerns about the department’s ability to support public schools, especially those serving students of color and children with disabilities.
Illinois Education Association President Al Llorens warned the cuts will have a “profound effect” on state schools.
“Cutting USED will be deeply harmful to Illinois students and our communities,” Llorens said in a statement. “Ninety percent of the students in our state attend public schools, and 95 percent of students with disabilities are students within our buildings.”
The Education Department announced the layoffs Tuesday, slashing its workforce from 4,100 to roughly 2,000 employees. The cuts are part of a larger push by the Trump administration to downsize federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration. The department also plans to terminate leases on office buildings in cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland.
Despite the mass layoffs, department officials insist they will continue key functions such as distributing federal aid, managing student loans, and overseeing Pell Grants. Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended the cuts, arguing that reducing federal staff would allow more funding to flow directly to state education systems.
“So many of the programs are really excellent, so we need to make sure the money goes to the states,” McMahon said in a Fox News interview Tuesday.
McMahon had already warned employees about the cuts. In a March 3 memo—the day she was confirmed—she described the downsizing as the department’s “final mission” and said its authority should be handed over to state governments.
But Llorens and other education advocates say the layoffs will devastate schools across the country, particularly in Illinois.
- Over 1,000 Illinois school districts rely on Title 1 funding for nearly one million low-income students.
- Nearly 300,000 students with disabilities in Illinois benefit from Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding.
- More than 264,000 Illinois college students depend on Pell Grants.
- Over 28,000 children in Illinois participate in Head Start, which supports early childhood education.
“These are valuable and needed initiatives that serve our most vulnerable,” Llorens said.
A recent bipartisan survey by the Illinois Education Association found that:
- 80% of Illinois residents believe public school funding should increase.
- 91% agree that every child in the state has a right to a public school education.
- 92% support public education access for students with disabilities.
- Only 11% believe politicians should have a role in running schools.
The department informed employees that its Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed Wednesday for ‘security reasons,’ with access restricted until Thursday.
Trump campaigned on eliminating the Education Department, calling it a breeding ground for “radicals, zealots, and Marxists.” At her confirmation hearing, McMahon acknowledged that Congress, not the president, has the power to dissolve the agency. However, she signaled her support for major cuts and restructuring.
The long-term impact of these layoffs remains unclear, but many fear they will weaken the department’s ability to enforce civil rights protections for students and manage the $1.6 trillion federal student loan program.
Llorens underscored the stakes.
“The U.S. Department of Education was founded to help ensure that every student—no matter where they live, the color of their skin, or how much money their family makes—gets access to a quality public school education,” he said. “Dismantling USED and firing up to 50% of its employees will have a profound effect on schools in Illinois.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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