President Donald Trump said Monday that Education Secretary Linda McMahon will begin the process of shutting down the federal agency in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling earlier in the day that upheld the reduction in force of nearly 1,400 employees.
The high court paused a preliminary injunction by U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun, a Joe Biden appointee, in Boston that ordered the employees be reinstated.v
"The United States Supreme Court has handed a Major Victory to Parents and Students across the Country, by declaring the Trump Administration may proceed on returning the functions of the Department of Education BACK TO THE STATES," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "Now, with this GREAT Supreme Court Decision, our Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, may begin this very important process.
"The Federal Government has been running our Education System into the ground, but we are going to turn it all around by giving the Power back to the PEOPLE. America's Students will be the best, brightest, and most Highly Educated anywhere in the World. Thank you to the United States Supreme Court!"
The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling came in a dispute that began shortly after the Education Department on March 11 announced a reduction in force involving 1,378 employees.
McMahon said in a news release that the staff reductions reflect "the Department of Education's commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers."
Trump issued an executive order nine days later that instructed McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure" of the department.
On March 21, he announced that programs for students with special needs and the federal student loan portfolio would be transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Small Business Administration, respectively.
A group of 20 states and the District of Columbia, two public school districts, and teachers' unions filed a federal lawsuit in Massachusetts, arguing the staff reductions violated the Constitution and the federal laws governing administrative agencies.
"Today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: The President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies," McMahon wrote in a post on X.
"While today's ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution.
"The U.S. Department of Education will now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education. We will carry out the reduction in force to promote efficiency and accountability and to ensure resources are directed where they matter most — to students, parents, and teachers.
"As we return education to the states, this Administration will continue to perform all statutory duties while empowering families and teachers by reducing education bureaucracy."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.