The Education Department plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees as part of an effort to halve the organization’s staff — a prelude to President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the agency, according to the Associated Press.
Department officials announced the cuts Tuesday, raising questions about the agency’s ability to continue usual operations.
The Trump administration had already been whittling down the agency’s staff though buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesday’s layoffs, the Education Department’s staff will retain roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said.
The layoffs are part of a dramatic downsizing directed by Trump as he moves to reduce the footprint of the federal government. Thousands of jobs are expected to be cut across the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, and other agencies.
The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland, officials said.
Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions such as the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management, and oversight of Pell Grants.
