On March 11, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced they were undertaking a reduction in force (RIF) “impacting nearly 50% of the Department’s workforce.” This effort would significantly reduce the staff of the department by 1,950 employees. ED’s press release states that impacted staff would be placed on administrative leave on Friday, March 21 and that the RIF total includes 600 employees who took a voluntary resignation or retirement opportunities since the start of the Administration and 1,350 employees who will be laid off.
The RIF announcement indicates ED’s intention to continue to implement “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” and states that all divisions within the Department have been impacted by the RIF. The announcement also states that some divisions will require “significant reorganizations to better serve students, parents, educators, and taxpayers.” Agencies and offices likely impacted by the RIF include the Office of Federal Student Aid, regional offices, and the Institute for Education Sciences, among other offices.
ED’s RIF announcement references the actions as a part of Secretary McMahon’s “final mission” to overhaul the Department of Education. A widely anticipated Executive Order that will instruct the Secretary of Education to make a plan to significantly reorganize the Department of Education is still expected.
Sources and Additional Information:
- ED’s press release on the reduction of force effort is available at https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-initiates-reduction-force.
- Secretary McMahon’s statement on ED’s “final mission” is available at https://www.ed.gov/about/news/speech/secretary-mcmahon-our-departments-final-mission.