The Department of Education has made a significant cutback that could affect learners' future.

On Tuesday, March 11, the department began its process of job eliminations, reducing personnel by 50 percent. According to USA Today, over 1,300 DOE employees were notified of their pending termination, following 572 accepting resignation buyouts. When President Donald Trump returned to office in January, DOE had 4,133 workers, which will be drastically reduced to 2,183 following job elimination.

The United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon called the mass worker reduction “a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”

“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” she stated. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department.”

According to CNN, McMahon also stated that the job cuts signal the first step toward abolishing the DOE, which Trump is committed to overseeing. Starting Wednesday, March 12, until Friday, March 21, laid-off workers will complete their duties remotely “for safety reasons to protect the 2,183 employees that are going to remain after” the work eliminations are completed.

During his presidential run, Trump claimed that the DOE had federal overreach, with educational lessons causing discomfort for some in classrooms. “We will drain the government education swamp and stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth with all sorts of things that you don’t want to have our youth hearing,” he reportedly said, according to CNN.

The DOE was formed in October 1979 under the orders of the late President Jimmy Carter. Its responsibilities include funding charter schools, allocating funds to support underprivileged students in K-12 institutions, providing equal education access, and more.