On March 20, President Donald J. Trump passed an executive order to close the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The order directed the Secretary of Education to return authority over education to the states “while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services.” Congress assigned many of the DOE’s responsibilities, so the president can’t dismantle the department without an act of Congress or legally direct the agency to refrain from actions it is required to do by law. The executive order already faces numerous legal challenges. Republican lawmakers also proposed legislation to dissolve the DOE on Nov. 21, 2024, in…