The Department of Education began sending notices to employees that it plans to resume shrinking the department after the Supreme Court said on Monday that President Donald Trump could carry out mass layoffs.

Closing the department would require congressional approval, and it’s unlikely Trump would have sufficient support.

Despite the lack of staffing, the Education Department's workload just grew. After President Trump signed his massive tax and spending bill into law, the agency was tasked with implementing two new loan repayment programs, as well as a complex system for holding colleges accountable.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon is expected to move quickly now that the Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to continue unwinding her department.

The Trump Administration can push through with its plans to dismantle the Department of Education after the Supreme Court allowed it to continue laying off nearly 1,400 employees.

WASHINGTON – When President Donald Trump signed a megabill with his spending and policy priorities into law on July 4, he distanced himself from another one of his goals: dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.

The Supreme Court is allowing President Donald Trump to put his plan to dismantle the Education Department back on track and go through with laying off nearly 1,400 employees.

The Trump administration has created a partnership between Labor and Education departments to build an integrated federal education and workforce system as part of an effort to downsize the government.

Here's what to know after a decision by the Supreme Court gives the president a green light to move forward on his promise to gut the agency.