Executive Order 14242 of March 20, 2025: Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities
- Read the executive order on whitehouse.gov
- Federal Register cite: scheduled for publication on March 25, 2025
- Read a White House Fact Sheet on the executive order
Stated purpose
This executive order seeks to close the U.S. Department of Education, stating "Ultimately, the Department of Education’s main functions can, and should, be returned to the States."
Key Implementation Mechanisms
Section 2 of the exceedingly brief executive order directs the Secretary of Education (currently Linda McMahon):
"to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely"
and
"Consistent with the Department of Education’s authorities... ensure that the allocation of any Federal Department of Education funds is subject to rigorous compliance with Federal law and Administration policy, including the requirement that any program or activity receiving Federal assistance terminate illegal discrimination obscured under the label “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology."
This follows a March 11, 2025 Department of Education announcement that it had initiated a reduction in force that would impact 50% of the department's workforce, which appears connected to the February 11, 2025 executive order titled Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Workforce Optimization Initiative, that aims to significantly reduce the size of the federal workforce and implement new hiring practices. See NAFSA's page on that executive order.
Some Background on the Department of Education
The Department of Education began operations as a Cabinet-level agency in May 1980 after Congress passed the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88, 93 Stat. 668) and President Jimmy Carter signed it into law on October 17, 1979. See 20 USC Ch. 38: Department of Education, codification of the Department of Education Organization Act in the United States Code (USC). The Act combined offices from several federal agencies to create the new Cabinet-level department. For additional background see these Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports:
- U.S. Department of Education: Background and Statutorily Established Officers, Positions, and Offices. CRS Report Number R48425, 02/14/2025.
- A Summary of Federal Education Laws Administered by the U.S. Department of Education. CRS Report Number R48425, 02/14/2025, and a 12/12/2024 CRS In Focus piece on the same topic.
- Department of Education Funding: Key Concepts and FAQ. CRS Report Number R44477, 02/19/2019.
Note that as it was established by Congress, closing the U.S. Department of Education or reassigning statutory duties of the department to other agencies without congressional action would likely face significant legal challenges.