The White House is preparing an executive order to eliminate the Department of Education, two sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.
President Donald Trump cannot unilaterally abolish a federal agency without the approval of Congress.
The planned order follows years of campaign promises from Trump to abolish the federal Education Department.
In September 2023, the then-candidate posted a video to social media saying, “One other thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington D.C., and sending all education and education work and needs back to the states.”
“In total American society pours more than $1 trillion a year into public education systems but instead of being at the top of the list, we are literally right smack — guess what — at the bottom,” Trump said earlier in the video.
Last week, Trump signed another education-related order to expand school choice, directing the Education Department to issue guidance to states within 60 days about how they can use federal funds to boost school choice programs in their states.