Department of Education closes Dallas regional office amid layoffs

DALLAS - From the Oval Office, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended the decision of his education secretary to cut half of the federal department’s workforce.

"She cut a large number, but she kept the best people. And we will see how it all works out," he said. "We are going to move education to the states so that states can run education."

Part of the cuts include closing the regional office in Dallas.

Department of Education layoffs

By the numbers:

When Trump took office, there were 4,100 Department of Education workers. 

After this week’s action, the department shrinks to about 2,100 workers.

That includes nearly 600 workers who took voluntary resignations and retirement in recent weeks.

Local perspective:

The president claims he wants to return education control to the states. But longtime Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said the states already have that control.

"It is a state’s responsibility to run the schools. And so, they already have controls. This is just additional protection and support for schools for it for school districts," Hinojosa said.

Some fear dismantling  the Department of Education could weaken federal protections under the department’s office of civil rights.

It’s the office that investigated Southlake Carroll ISD over complaints of racism and other discrimination, something district officials have denied.

There’s also concern it impacting supplemental funding for poor districts.

Hinojosa said what happens after the Department of Education goes away depends a lot on how it’s executed.

"If they move certain programs to Health and Human Services, then at least students will still get support if they put it in block grants. Poor kids are going to suffer because that means the amount is divided equally. And so that means districts that don’t have high poverty would get this money. So, a lot depends on the details. It’s going to be laid out in the next several months both at the federal level and the state level," he said.

Hinojosa believes the next few months will be interesting.

"Schools are the last frontier for students of poverty and all students because we accept all students. And so, stay tuned, and we’ll see what happens," he said.