CNN
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The US Education Department announced Tuesday it is cutting nearly 50% of its workforce, according to senior agency officials, as President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the agency altogether.
Hundreds will be laid off starting Tuesday evening, in addition to those who took voluntary “buyouts.” Those actions would cut the workforce of about 4,100 in half.
The layoffs will take effect in 90 days. Those fired will begin teleworking starting Wednesday and go on paid administrative leave starting March 21, according to the officials, who added that the employees will receive severance pay.
The cuts are in addition to the 63 probationary employees who were fired as part of a White House directive last month, the officials added. More than 300 employees also took voluntary separation incentives worth up to $25,000 while about 260 accepted a deferred resignation package.
Tuesday’s cuts follow similar layoffs at other federal agencies as part of Trump and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency’s continued efforts to shrink the size of the federal government.
CNN reported last week that White House officials have prepared an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the process of dismantling the department.
The officials also added that an earlier memo sent to employees announcing that the agency’s offices will be temporarily closed for unspecified “security reasons” was due to the layoffs. The earlier memo instructed employees to work remotely until Thursday.
Employees were instructed to take their laptops with them and vacate the building starting at 6 p.m. ET. The offices are set to reopen on Thursday, according to the memo sent by James Hairfield from the department’s office of security, facilities and logistics.
Several Department of Education employees earlier told CNN they are nervous about impending mass layoffs and the looming executive order from Trump.
Longtime department staffers told CNN they can’t remember a time that all offices were closed, even when significant VIPs have been on site.
This story and headline have been updated with additional reporting.
