President Donald Trump is prepared to sign an executive order as soon as Thursday to dismantle the Department of Education, a longtime wish of the Republican Party. 

The order will direct newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education,” according to the Wall Street Journal. The Senate voted along party lines on Monday to confirm McMahon as the next education secretary. Democrats united in opposing her after she committed to dismantling the department.

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“The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support — has failed our children, our teachers, and our families,” the draft order reads. 

The order notes that “since its founding in 1979, the Department of Education has spent more than $1 trillion without producing virtually any improvement in student reading and mathematics scores.”

TRUMP WANTS TO DISMANTLE THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. HERE’S HOW IT WOULD WORK

Reading scores changed little between 1992 and 2019, though math achievement changed considerably, according to the Nation’s Report Card. However, the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with student achievement, with some learning gaps remaining in 2025.

The draft instructs McMahon to act “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.” The order does not mention Congress, which would need to approve the department’s complete dismantling. 

The Department of Education is protected by statute and cannot legally be altered without congressional approval. Its dismantling would require 60 votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster. House Republicans have tried to close the department before and were unsuccessful. Republicans have a razor-thin majority in the House and a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

The federal government has taken several steps to weaken the agency, including laying off a number of probationary employees and last week offering most of its employees $25,000 if they resigned by Monday at midnight. The Education Department is one of the smallest federal agencies, employing about 4,200 people.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO KEY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS IF TRUMP SHUTS IT DOWN

Soon after she was confirmed by the Senate, McMahon sent a memo stating she would “send education back to the states.” 

Federal dollars make up a small portion of funding for public schools, roughly 10%, with most money coming from local and state taxes. Federal money spent on education is largely sent to communities serving more vulnerable students, such as those in low-income and rural areas and children with disabilities.