Pledge: Trump has repeatedly said he will close the federal Department of Education, sending authority over education back to the states and saving taxpayer dollars.

When Donald Trump told Elon Musk one of his first acts as president would be to “close the Department of Education, move education back to the states,” he was invoking a GOP promise that goes back to President Ronald Reagan and the department’s founding.

Donald Trump said he would use the department to further his priorities. He also said he would close it. Both options would face difficulties.

As the President-elect continues to announce picks for top administration jobs, there is a question of who will lead the education department – or if it will exist at all.

One of the key promises President-elect Donald Trump made while campaigning for the White House was to abolish the US Department of Education. The federal agency, established in 1979, oversees funding for public schools, administers student loans and runs programmes to help low-income students.

President-elect Donald Trump has long promised to eliminate the Education Department but was unable to do so during his first term.

Still, the governor does not want to forego the federal education funding that helps pay for Tennessee schools.

Three leading education policy experts explained how Trump abolishing the Department of Education would work, if it is realistic, and what the effects would be.