In a landmark moment with sweeping implications for American education, President Donald Trump’s administration is moving ahead with efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. This follows a Supreme Court decision that overturned lower court rulings blocking the move, igniting both praise and alarm from across the political spectrum.
At the heart of the decision is a renewed emphasis on subsidiarity—the principle that governance should take place at the most local level possible—a concept deeply rooted in Catholic social teaching. The Church affirms that “a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order” unless absolutely necessary. That belief now echoes in national policy debates as Trump works to return control over education from the federal government to the states.
President Trump celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision on July 14, stating in a social media post, “With this GREAT Supreme Court Decision, our Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, may begin this very important process.” He added that the ruling would “give the Power back to the PEOPLE” and claimed, “the Federal Government has been running our Education System into the ground.”
The drive to shut down the Department of Education is not new. Conservatives have long criticized the department as an overreach of federal authority. However, Trump made his intentions formal in March when he signed an executive order directing Secretary McMahon to “facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.”
That same month, McMahon’s agency laid off 1,300 employees, and another 572 accepted voluntary buyouts—cutting the department’s workforce by half. According to The Boston Globe, U.S. District Judge Myong Joun later ruled that these terminations hindered the federal government’s ability to fulfill legally mandated education services. Since the department was created by Congress in 1979, Judge Joun asserted that it could not be dismantled or defunded without Congressional approval.
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Joun’s ruling, but in a controversial move, the Supreme Court reversed it. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing in dissent, warned that the ruling “handed Trump the power to repeal laws passed by Congress ‘by firing all those necessary to carry them out.’” The Court’s three liberal justices opposed the decision, raising alarms about executive overreach.
Nevertheless, for many faithful Catholics who support decentralization of power and increased parental rights in education, the ruling may be seen as a step toward restoring moral clarity and local control in schooling. Trump said his administration will now “shift more education functions to the states,” a move that could allow Catholic schools and homeschooling families greater freedom to operate without federal interference.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms the rights of parents as the primary educators of their children (CCC 2223), and any measure that strengthens their ability to direct their children’s formation may be viewed favorably by those who support a Catholic vision of education. However, concerns remain about how the absence of federal oversight could impact vulnerable students, particularly the poor and disabled.
This moment raises serious questions for Catholics: How can the Church support policies that align with subsidiarity and parental rights while ensuring that society continues to protect the common good and uphold the dignity of all learners?
As the Trump administration accelerates its efforts to close the department, the faithful are called to stay informed and engaged. The implications for Catholic education, religious liberty, and the moral formation of the next generation are profound—and still unfolding.
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