US Supreme Court Clears Way for Trump to Gut Education Department

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for President Donald Trump's administration to resume dismantling the Department of Education, part of his bid to shrink the federal government's role in education in favor of more control by the states.

In the latest high court win for Trump, the justices lifted a federal judge's order that had reinstated nearly 1,400 workers affected by mass layoffs at the department and blocked the administration from transferring key functions to other federal agencies. A legal challenge is continuing to play out in lower courts.

The Supreme Court's action came in a brief, unsigned order. Its three liberal justices dissented.

A group of 21 Democratic attorneys general, school districts and unions behind a pair of legal challenges had warned in court papers that Trump's shutdown efforts threatened to impair the department's ability to perform its core duties.

Democracy Forward, a liberal legal group representing the school districts and unions, said the court's action "dealt a devastating blow to this nation's promise of public education for all children."

"We will aggressively pursue every legal option as this case proceeds to ensure that all children in this country have access to the public education they deserve," said Skye Perryman, the group's president and CEO.

Created by Congress in 1979, the Department of Education's main roles include administering college loans, tracking student achievement and enforcing civil rights in schools. It also provides federal funding for needy districts and to help students with disabilities.