$50 billion in US education grants at risk: Here’s why the layoffs could shut them down before Congress acts

The US Department of Education has issued layoff notices to 465 employees across six of its 17 main offices, leaving dozens of federal education programmes without the staff needed to oversee and manage them. The reduction-in-force effort, initiated during the ongoing government shutdown, affects critical divisions responsible for disbursing and monitoring over $50 billion in grants annually. Most of the affected staff work in offices that manage major funding streams such as Title I for low-income students and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants. Without intervention, the last working day for these employees will be December 9. A federal judge temporarily halted the layoff plan, but the Trump administration is expected to continue pushing for it, as reported