The cost-saving measures also include closing all offices in places including New York, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, and San Francisco.
The U.S. Department of Education on March 11 announced that 1,315 employees will be laid off within 90 days as part of its ongoing cost-saving measures.
A senior official told reporters in a press call that the staff reduction addresses redundancies in the communications, human resources, information technology, and other offices within the department.
The affected workers were to be notified via email at 6 p.m. on March 11. The Washington, D.C., office was to be closed on March 12 for safety protocols, and the senior official said the workers are expected to work remotely with full pay and benefits until their employment ends in 90 days.
The laid-off staffers will be awarded severance payments based on their years of service, with the most senior members receiving up to 20 weeks of salary.
“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,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement.
The agency said about 600 of its 4,133 employees have already agreed to leave voluntarily, including 313 who accepted $25,000 buyout offers last week.
Department of Education offices outside of Washington, including New York, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, and San Francisco, will be closed. The dates are based on current leases and were not revealed. The senior official said that after the closures, all employees will work in one building in Washington.
The senior official said the staff reduction will not affect any of the department’s services, including college financial aid loan and grants functions, Title 1 funding for low-income students, special education funding, and civil rights functions.
She said these decisions were carefully thought out and will make the agency more efficient.
“What we are doing now is not working,” she said. “It’s just not.”
