KY federal lawmakers largely mum as Trump attempts to dismantle Department of Education
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that critics say would lead to the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, an agency already crippled by layoffs under Trump.
The president has blasted the Department of Education for backing what he says are liberal policies and agendas, and he has accused the department of wasteful spending.
But Trump can’t eliminate the agency without a vote by U.S. Congress, which created the Department of Education in 1979.
Kentucky’s six representatives and two senators were largely mum Thursday about whether they would vote to dismantle the department.
Meanwhile, education leaders in Kentucky, including the Kentucky teachers’ union, have warned that such a move would be disastrous for public schools in the commonwealth.
Trump signed an order late Thursday that would direct U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely,” according to the Associated Press.
White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told the New York Times student loans and federal Pell grants will still be managed by the department as will other funding sources, including money for students with disabilities and civil rights enforcement.
The Department of Education is already hobbled by a 50% cut in its workforce. Many employees are expected to start administrative leave Friday.
The cuts at the Department of Education are part of a much broader effort by Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency to cut spending and trim the federal workforce.
Kentucky’s lone Democrat, Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, said he would oppose efforts to weaken the federal agency.
“Kentucky schools receive over $1 billion from the Department of Education each year. Donald Trump is literally stealing our kids’ futures to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. It’s wrong.”
Two members of Kentucky’s federal delegation have pushed to terminate the federal agency — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Thomas Massie.
In a statement on X on Wednesday night, Paul said he stood with President Trump on the issue of terminating the federal agency. Paul has previously filed legislation in 2021 to do away with the department.
Massie has long pushed for the agency’s demise.
He filed legislation in the U.S. House to do just that earlier this year. H.R. 899 is one sentence long stating: “The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2026.”
“States and local communities are best positioned to shape curricula that meet the needs of their students. Schools should be accountable. Parents have the right to choose the most appropriate educational opportunity for their children, including home school, public school, or private school,” Massie said in a press release announcing the filing of the legislation in January.
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Louisville, who has opposed other Trump policies, including his tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico, and is not running for re-election in 2026, said Thursday the “courts will decide” if Trump has the authority to dismantle the agency.
He did not say if he would vote in favor of a bill eradicating the department.
“I think the way to look at all these reorganization efforts by the administration is ‘what’s legal and what isn’t,’ and they’ll be defined in the courts,” McConnell said. “I can understand the desire to reduce government spending. Every administration, some not quite as bold as this one, has tried to do that in one way or another.
“This is a different approach, and the courts will ultimately decide whether the President has the authority to take these various steps. Some may have different outcomes. So I’m just going to wait, like all of us, in effect, are going to wait, and see whether this is permissible or not,” McConnell said.
Congressmen Andy Barr, James Comer, Brett Guthrie and Hal Rogers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
At a Lexington event on Wednesday, Barr did not specifically address cuts to the federal education department but said Trump and DOGE’s efforts to trim the federal government were necessary in order to tackle the country’s mounting federal deficit.
Public education is popular in Kentucky. In November, 65.2% of voters voted against a state constitutional amendment that would allow public school dollars to go to private schools.
‘Devastating’ for Kentucky
Robbie Fletcher, the state’s education commissioner, has said the staffing cuts to the federal education department could result in less help and support from the Department of Education.
“A reduction of force of this magnitude will present challenges in maintaining capacity in critical areas and availability of technical assistance to state agencies,” Fletcher said last week.
“It is our hope that these changes will have a minimal impact on the day-to-day operations of our department, and more importantly, of our schools, “ he said.
Fletcher said he does not anticipate layoffs at the Kentucky Department of Education since it has not lost any funding.
The state Department of Education also received further guidance on March 14 from the federal Department of Education that said federal funding will remain intact.
That guidance said:
“Critical functions for elementary and secondary education will not be impacted by these cuts. The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education employees who oversee the allocation, monitoring, and management of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act’s title formula funding and discretionary grant programs were not impacted by the reduction in force. These funds will continue to flow normally, and program functions will not be disrupted. Supporting states in implementing and strengthening these programs continues to be a top priority for this Department.”
KDE officials said Thursday that had not received any further information from the U.S. Department of Education.
“To date, KDE has received no further communication from (federal officials) regarding closure or additional reorganization,” Fletcher said.
If there are additional changes at the U.S. Department of Education, Fletcher said, “KDE will expect immediate guidance on how federal education funding to states, as appropriated by Congress, will continue to flow to Kentucky without disruption.”
The federal education agency provides more than $1 billion to the state through various funding sources, including grants for schools in high-poverty areas and for kids with disabilities.
The state teacher’s union, the Kentucky Education Association, has also blasted efforts to dismantle the agency calling the decision “devastating” for Kentucky kids and public schools.
Class sizes would soar, job training programs would be cut, the cost of higher education would increase, special education services would disappear and civil rights protections would be ignored, said David Patterson, spokesperson for the Kentucky Education Association and KEA President Eddie Campbell.
“We call on Kentucky’s Congressional delegation to stand up for our schools and publicly oppose these massive cuts, and to oppose any legislation that threatens to cut critical federal funding for our students and schools,” Patterson said in a statement released Tuesday.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, a former educator, said many Kentucky school districts are heavily dependent on federal funding. Dismantling the federal agency could have dire consequences for some of Kentucky’s poorest school districts and neediest children.
“On a macro level, just think about what it says to our kids, our communities, our country and the world that the United States of America would rather dismantle the U.S. Department of Education than invest in the kids and families that need it most,” Coleman said at an event in Louisville on Wednesday.
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 2:26 PM.
