The Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s administration to move forward with major layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education.
On July 14, 2025, the Court voted 6-3 to lift a lower court’s order that had been blocking the move.
The decision gives the Trump team the green light to lay off about 1,400 employees – roughly a third of the department’s workforce.
It’s one step closer to fulfilling Trump’s longtime goal of shrinking or even eliminating the department altogether.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court is allowing President Trump to put his plan to dismantle the Education Department back on track and lay off nearly 1,400 employees. https://t.co/SnsnBxZr07
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 14, 2025
A Promise Kept
Back in March, Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced the plan.
The goal? Cut down the department from around 4,100 employees to just over 2,100 – nearly cutting it in half.
The layoffs are part of Trump’s executive order to close the department “to the maximum extent permitted by law.”
Since Congress hasn’t passed a bill to shut it down completely, this is the furthest the administration can go without help from lawmakers.
Supporters of the move say it puts power back in the hands of states and local school boards, where many believe education decisions should be made in the first place.
Courts Tried to Block It
Back in May, U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston tried to block the layoffs. He said slashing the workforce would “likely cripple” the department’s ability to do its job; things like managing student loans, enforcing civil rights laws, and helping students with disabilities.
His ruling was backed by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. That led the Trump administration to take the case to the Supreme Court.
Two major lawsuits were filed against the plan, one by a group of Democratic attorneys general and another by the teachers’ unions and public school districts in Massachusetts. They argued the layoffs would harm students and slow down important services.
Supreme Court Steps In
The Supreme Court didn’t write a long opinion. That’s common when it uses what’s known as the emergency or “shadow” docket.
The justices simply voted to pause the lower court’s order, which means the layoffs can now go forward while the lawsuits continue to play out.
Within hours of the ruling, the Department of Education sent out notices. The pink slips go into effect on August 1.
The three liberal justices (Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson) disagreed with the decision. Justice Sotomayor wrote a fiery 19-page dissent.
She said the move “effectively repeals laws by firing all those necessary to carry them out.” She also warned it could hurt students and delay help for those who face discrimination or special needs.
But conservatives see this ruling as being about ending bloated bureaucracy and stopping the federal government from micromanaging schools.
Why should unelected D.C. staffers be deciding how our kids in Nevada learn math? We’re more than capable of doing it ourselves.
What’s Next?
The fight isn’t over. The lawsuits are still moving through lower courts.
For now, the Trump administration has the green light to keep downsizing.
If Congress ever gets on board, the Department of Education could be on the chopping block entirely. Until then, Trump is taking the boldest steps allowed by law.
While critics complain that it’s too extreme, supporters say it’s just common sense. The Founding Fathers never meant for Washington, D.C., to run America’s schools.
Instead of sending our tax dollars to a giant federal agency, maybe it’s time to put that money – and control – back where it belongs: in the hands of parents, teachers, and local communities.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
