President Donald Trump vowed on the campaign trail to eliminate the Department of Education and bring power over education policy to the states. (Getty Images)
Perry said Thursday's order "is going to be the first step in a very long, consistent, labor-intensive process to be able to continue the work of downsizing."
"Which is exactly what we've seen the Department of Education already do, but also specifically continue enforcing civil rights and financial aid responsibility through the federal government until those particular duties are passed to other agencies," she said.
For instance, Perry said, civil rights enforcement would shift to the Department of Justice, while student loan processes would be handled by the Department of the Treasury.
"They fully understand, and this is gratifying to hear that the White House has to work with Congress to offload the full responsibilities to other agencies and to ultimately unwind the Department of Education," she added.
INJUNCTION LIFTED ON TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS SLASHING FEDERAL DEI SUPPORT
The Department of Education was established by an act of Congress in 1979. (Erin Scott/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Perry said the focus should be on strengthening education at the state and local levels, while ensuring continued federal oversight of student loans, civil rights laws, and Title One funding for underprivileged and low-income students.
"So the federal government is always going to have a responsibility to enforce, apply and sort of interpret and send these particular protections and their financial associations," Perry said.
She suggested that these federal programs could be separated or "divested" from the Department of Education, meaning the department's role in administering them can be reduced or transferred to other agencies.
Trump's executive order fulfills a major campaign promise, aiming to restore local control of education and back school choice amid the ongoing culture war.
Jamie Joseph is a U.S. Politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering transgender and culture issues, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, and stateside legislative developments.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/student-loans-pell-grants-continue-despite-education-department-downsizing-expert-says