Overview

• The Trump administration has proposed a 15% cut to the Department of Education’s fiscal year 2026 budget, amounting to $12 billion in reductions.
• Key cuts include the elimination of preschool grants and the Office of Civil Rights, while charter school funding would increase by $60 million.
• Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the department’s downsizing as a ‘final mission’ to return education oversight to states and promote school choice.
• Democrats criticized the proposed cuts, arguing they would harm underserved communities and undermine federal accountability in education.
• Republicans praised McMahon’s swift implementation of Trump’s agenda, though abolishing the department entirely would require congressional approval.