WASHINGTON (TNND) — The Department of Education announced significant layoffs this week, reducing its workforce by approximately half as part of the Trump administration's initiative to transfer education oversight from the federal government to the states. The department is laying off 1,950 employees from their previous 4,133.

The average salary for workers in the Education Department is $118,000, which is higher than any other department with federal civilian workers, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Previous to these cuts, the department's budget for salaries and expenses was $3.5 billion, an increase of $715.4 million over the 2024 enacted level, according to their 2025 Budget Request. An additional $38 million was requested to "advance equity in educational opportunity and delivery through increased investment in civil rights enforcement". The department's total budget in 2024 was around $250 billion, which has increased significantly almost every year since 2015, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite a steady decrease in the number of employees, according to OpentheBooks.com.

Despite the layoffs, the Department of Education stated in a press release that it "will continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking."

President Trump would need congressional approval to abolish the Education Department entirely. He previously attempted to merge it with the Department of Labor during his first term but lacked sufficient support to proceed.

Trump is one of many presidents who have tried to shut the department down. According to the Department:

Although the Department is a relative newcomer among Cabinet-level agencies, its origins goes back to 1867, when President Andrew Johnson signed legislation creating the first Department of Education. Its main purpose was to collect information and statistics about the nation's schools. However, due to concern that the Department would exercise too much control over local schools, the new Department was demoted to an Office of Education in 1868.

The Department of Education was established as it stands today in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter. It was created to centralize and improve federal education policy. It oversees federal assistance to education, monitors compliance with civil rights and disability rights laws, and manages student loans and grants, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).