This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that officially calls on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle the US Department of Education.
It comes roughly one week after the president moved to halve the agency’s workforce in a mass layoff, though the administration has telegraphed its intentions for months.
Trump has frequently accused schools of "indoctrinating" students with "radical, anti-American ideologies." In a separate January order, he threatened to withhold federal funds from any K–12 school or school division that engages in "the instruction, advancement, or promotion of gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology."
In her Senate confirmation hearing last month, McMahon said closing the Department of Education would require congressional action. Still, she said she would support reorienting its structure while preserving some functions, including funding for Title 1 schools and Pell Grant awards for low-income college students.
Some Democrats and education advocates, however, fear that immediately shifting more responsibility to other agencies and states — along with the effort to slash the Department of Education’s staffing in half — could have a detrimental effect.
Virginia Education Association President Carol Bauer called the executive order “an outright attack on public education” that especially harms vulnerable students.
“This reckless plan would steal resources from low-income students, children with disabilities, and English learners—while also gutting critical civil rights protections that ensure all students have the opportunity to learn,” Bauer said in a statement Thursday. “This isn’t just an attack on a government agency—it’s an attack on our students, our educators, and the future of public education in Virginia. We call on all elected officials to stand with educators, parents, and students to stop this assault on our schools.”
Recently, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine was asked about whether the Virginia Department of Education would be able to administer public education without federal guidance.
“No, I don't believe that the Virginia [Department of Education] is set up to do that,” he said during a press call. “And I don't believe that Virginia DOE can do that.”
In a statement released after the executive order was signed Thursday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said that "Virginia is ready to take full responsibility for K-12 education."
Youngkin also said that state officials have "implemented a high-expectations agenda that sets rigorous standards, holds schools accountable for results and prioritizes resources to the students and schools that need the most support.”
Responding to questions about the efforts to erase the US Department of Education prior to Thursday’s order, a spokesman for Youngkin did not say whether his administration has a plan to assume duties and responsibilities currently managed by the federal government.
“Governor Youngkin and his administration is focused every day on preparing every student for success. We have prioritized making data and evidence a tool of enlightenment, empowerment, and improvement so that parents, teachers, and state and local leaders can make more informed decisions that lead to better student outcomes,” Youngkin press secretary Peter Finocchio said in a statement to VPM News last week.
According to multiple media reports, Youngkin was going to be one of several Republican governors present at Thursday’s signing ceremony at the White House. Finocchio told VPM News that was incorrect: The governor’s public schedule listed a 4 p.m. event for Thursday, but it occurred at the executive mansion in Richmond.
What happens now at Virginia’s public schools?
As VPM News reported earlier this week, the complete elimination of federal funding would leave Virginia schools with a collective $2.4 billion funding gap: That means localities and the commonwealth would need to cover costs for instructors in high-poverty schools, food programs for low-income students and teacher training programs designed to improve student achievement.
Immediately, though? Individual school districts are in the middle of crafting their budgets for fiscal 2026, and the executive order could directly impact that working math. (Virginia’s fiscal year runs July 1–June 30.)
Before the order was signed, Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras and the Richmond City School Board sent out a joint email to families, recognizing “the high level of anxiety” families might be feeling because of the decision.
“We want to reassure you that nothing will change at RPS tomorrow because of this executive order. No teachers will lose their jobs; no critical programs will end. This is because — despite much of the rhetoric being shared recently — over 90 percent of education funding in the United States, and nearly 100 percent of the decisions about what is taught in our schools, comes from states and localities, not the federal government.”
The email also explains what the US Department of Education does, including distributing funds for programs like Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Division leaders “have not seen anything suggesting the Department will hinder the disbursement of those funds” and that they “believe that any action attempting to do so would be unconstitutional” and they are prepared to “fight it.”
Grace Creasey, president of the Virginia Board of Education, said in the statement from Youngkin's office that Trump's EO “empowers parents and reduces federal overreach." She said that returning educational authority to the states "can foster innovation, accountability, and better educational outcomes," but did not provide any details on how.
Ahead of the executive order signing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the agency will continue to administer student loan grants. McMahon has also said the department would also still oversee money for low-income schools under Title I.
Eric Claville, a political and legal analyst at Norfolk State University, said in an interview Thursday that he thinks the Trump administration’s comments are intended to “quell any trepidation” people may have about the executive order.
“Keep in mind, when you go through a migration of a data system, or you go through a merger or acquisition of a company, or even just move from one office to the next, there’s going to be a disruption of service,” he said.
Established by Congress in 1979, the US Department of Education was formed in part to assure that schools across the country would be funded equitably, Claville said, and to review compliance with civil rights legislation that some states and localities resisted after the US Supreme Court made racial segregation in schools illegal.
“[It] puts us right back to where we were prior to … the fight for civil rights” he added. “It puts us back to non-inclusion, non-equity and non-diversity. And we’re not just talking about racial inclusion. We’re also talking about gender inclusion with women, immigrant inclusion, and economic inclusion.”
Stephen Poore, a parent of two RPS students and a co-pastor at Common Table Church, called the executive order “terrifying.”
“This deeply, deeply affects us as a family,” Poore told VPM News on Thursday. “Not only are we at Richmond Public Schools, which hosts many Title I schools, but also our son is autistic, and this affects his education.”
With resources for students that receive accommodations and specialized instruction guaranteed under IDEA in limbo, Poore said he’s worried his family will no longer have access to social workers and education experts that support his son.
“If he loses these resources, which is likely without federal assistance, it would mean that people like my son — people in underserved communities — will be further isolated from the government’s shrinking world,” he said.
In a statement issued by the governor's office, Virginia Education Secretary Aimee Rogstad Guidera said, “Virginians know best what Virginia students need and what works here in Virginia, and accordingly, we should be both responsible and accountable for results to the families of the Commonwealth."
The statement did not outline how the commonwealth could or would account for the potential loss of up to $2.4 billion in federal funding from the US Education Department.
“The President’s Executive Order ensures that federal dollars will arrive in Virginia with less red tape and bureaucracy and allow the State Board of Education, Virginia Department of Education, and local school divisions to invest those resources in the most efficient and effective ways that lead to the ultimate goal of improving student outcomes.”
What about higher education in Virginia?
Virginia colleges and universities also receive a wide variety of grants from the federal department of education — though it’s unclear which could immediately be in jeopardy as a result of this new executive order.
As previously reported, VCU’s teacher residency program received a termination letter for a federal grant they’d been awarded last year. Earlier this week, a federal judge ordered the agency to reinstate grant funding for several teacher preparation programs, including VCU’s. It’s not immediately clear how the executive order impacts the judge’s directive.
Prior to Thursday’s action, VPM News reached out to all four-year public Virginia colleges and universities to inquire about how an executive order dismantling or unwinding the US Department of Education could impact them.
VPM News has also submitted public records requests to better understand the scope of impact further federal cuts could have on the higher education landscape in Virginia.
Stephanie Aaronson, deputy vice president of communications for George Mason University, said in a statement on March 6 that the university’s president and senior team are “working closely with deans and researchers across the university to avoid the potential loss of federal funding that is critical to our students and families, faculty and staff, the region, and the impact of vital research underway.”
According to Aaronson, federal funding comprised 47.8% of all student financial aid in fiscal year 2024 — as well as 73% of all research awards. She added that less than 20 research projects have been paused or terminated and said officials are “assessing the immediate need,” but are “committed to engaging in a cost-sharing agreement” to minimize the impact to students and personnel.
Bethanie Glover, deputy spokesperson for the University of Virginia, said in an email statement that “the University is continuing to monitor actions and policy changes from the new administration in Washington to understand how they may affect UVA programs, operations, or members of our community.”
George Mason University, the University of Virginia and some other schools — including Virginia Tech, William & Mary, James Madison University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Old Dominion University — have dedicated webpages for updates on the federal funding situation.
Meanwhile, the role of the state — and the Council of Higher Education for Virginia — going forward amid the altered role of the US Department of Education remains unclear.
“Because of the numerous executive orders, related court cases and injunctions, SCHEV has not made any institutional recommendations,” said Bob Spieldenner, senior communications associate for the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia. “[B]ut we continue to track developments and may, as necessary or helpful, provide opportunity for discussion or collaboration with Virginia institutions.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
