What Will Happen if the U.S. Department of Education Closes?
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education laid off 1,315 employees. This accounts for slightly more than one-third of its workforce; it now has roughly 2,183 employees. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said that these layoffs were the first step towards ultimately closing the Department of Education.
To actually shutter the Department will take an act of Congress – a fact that Ms. McMahon acknowledged in a recent interview. How would the closure of the U.S. Department of Education affect Colorado charter schools? The short answer is: not much. The slightly longer answer is that closure of the USDE would almost certainly cause short-term delays and confusion as its portfolio of services is farmed out to other federal agencies, but the long-term effects seem negligible. Read more in the attached PDF.
