U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., vowed strong opposition to President Donald Trump's plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, warning that "the fight has just begun."

Trump signed an executive order Thursday to close the Education Department, fulfilling a campaign pledge to shutter the agency.

The Trump administration doesn't have the authority to eliminate the department. That can only happen with Congress' approval, but the administration could make it difficult for the remaining staff to perform their duties.

"Not on my watch will we eliminate this core value by decimating the Department of Education," Murray said during a Wednesday town hall at Shoreline Community College, where she was once an instructor. "We don't win by being quiet."

Last week, Trump's administration slashed over 1,300 jobs at the agency. Washington joined 20 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit to challenge the plans to dismiss half of its workforce.

Now, the entire agency is on the chopping block.

"This fight has just begun," Murray said. "We are going to fight in courts if we need to."

While most money for schools comes from state and local taxes, federal funding is still significant, especially for programs that serve underrepresented students. Around 7% of overall school funding in Washington comes from the federal government.

Murray said that the Federal Student Aid office and the Office for Civil Rights, which works to ensure equal access to education and resolve discrimination complaints, suffered the deepest job cuts. Murray also warned that layoffs in the Office of Special Education Programs could threaten the funding that districts receive to support students with disabilities.

During the town hall, Seattle School Board President Gina Topp highlighted local consequences, noting Seattle schools heavily rely on federal funding for low-income students, English language learners and students with disabilities.

Losing these funds would not only threaten essential programs such as reading and math interventions, summer learning and support for homeless students, but also the overall well-being and academic success of all students, Topp said.

"This isn't about efficiency or reform," she said. "It's about breaking public education at the federal level so it can't function. That's an attack on our kids."

Lanya McKittrick, a special education researcher and parent, expressed deep concern about impacts on disability programs. She shared how federally funded services have been crucial for her children's success, making the possible loss of these services a personal issue. McKittrick warned that a Project 2025 proposal to shift special education oversight from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services would set back disability rights by decades.

"It would send us backward to a time where kids with disabilities were seen as a medical problem, instead of students with potential. We can't let that happen," she said.

Rebecca Yates, a recently laid-off U.S. Department of Education attorney, shared her devastation about losing her job and voiced fears about future enforcement of Title IX and Section 504 protections, which ensure equal access to education for students regardless of their gender or disability status.

Yates said the proposed cuts could significantly reduce the department's ability to enforce these protections, potentially leaving students vulnerable to discrimination and unequal treatment.

"I'm sad about losing my job," she said. "But I'm devastated about what's happening to the Department of Education."

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