PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that aims to further dismantle the department of education. The order, titled “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States and Communities,” directs education secretary Linda McMahon to take all ne cessary steps to shrink the doe. “We’re gonna be returning education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs,” said Trump. “The president’s executive order directed McMahon to greatly minimize the agency. Student loans and Pell grants will still be run out of the department of education,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Leavitt also said that the funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Title I for low-income schools will not be impacted. However, the president did not specify which agencies would take over these responsibilities. Locally, state education commissioner Angelica Infante-Green said 15 percent of Rhode Island’s school district budge comes from the DOE. That totals approximately $275 million that Infante-Green said goes towards low-income students, money for the individual disabilities act, school nutrition, and career and technical education. There’s still no word on how this funding would be impacted. Infante-Green said in part: Despite changes at the federal level, our commitment to Rhode Island students will not change. We will continue to fight for the resources and support the U.S. Department of Education provides. However, congressional approval is required to abolish a federal agency. Education secretary McMahon has acknowledged she would need congress to carry out the president’s vision to close the department. It would take 60 “yes” votes in the senate to overcome the filibuster and dismantle the department that congress created. Friday morning at 9:30 a.m., the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Massachusetts will hold a press conference discussing the order’s impact. Democratic whip Katherine Clark, AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang and AFT President Randi Weingarten will speak. Categories: Massachusetts, News, Rhode Island, US & World News ...read more read less