About half of the Department of Education’s workforce is expected to be laid off in the latest round of firings under the Trump administration.
A memo from the Office of Finance and Operations, sent to staff on Tuesday, directed all employees to vacate the building by 6 p.m. The memo stated that all education and regional offices would be closed to employees and contractors on Wednesday for “security reasons.” Employees approved for remote work were permitted to do so. The agency said offices would reopen on Thursday, March 13, when in-person work is set to resume.
However, according to reporting from FOX News, the number of employees returning to the office may be significantly reduced. Sources say staff members are expected to receive “reduction in force” notices by Tuesday evening, with roughly half of the department’s personnel slated for termination.
The anticipated cuts follow reports that Trump is preparing to sign an executive order to dismantle the federal agency. This comes in conjunction with a previously issued email in late January, which offered a deferred retirement option to all federal employees. A separate offer now extends up to a $25,000 buyout for Department of Education employees who accept by 11:59 p.m. The buyout takes effect on March 31.
Approximately 75,000 government employees across all departments have already accepted deferred resignation offers.
