KILL ORDER — Millions in federal grants have been cut. Scores of probationary agency employees are being fired, while others are being put on leave. House Democrats are banging on the agency’s doors to get in without an appointment.

Closing the agency could cause confusion and headaches for states and schools in the short term, even if their federal funding streams remain intact.

FILE PHOTO: An American flag and a tattered U.S. Department of Education flag fly outside the federal office building, amid reports that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration will take steps to defund the federal Education Department, in Washington, U.S., February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

President Andrew Johnson signed the first official Department of Education into law. Although it was not a cabinet level position, it aimed to collect educational data an

Borrowers should prepare for a rocky road ahead if the agency closes. But experts say it won't happen overnight.