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The states allege the cuts amount to an illegal shutdown of the Education Department’s crucial, congressionally-mandated work, including protecting civil rights.

At least 800 education department research employees and outside partners have lost jobs. The cuts will decimate research and data collection.

Other basic information about schools, along with research about what works to improve them, seems most likely to be degraded or to disappear entirely. Many of those who were laid off worked on projects evaluating math and reading instruction, disability supports and other subjects critical to student learning.

State leaders warned that a dismantled or even weakened Education Department could hurt school budgets and result in inflated class sizes, fewer resources for students in special education programs, and problems recruiting and retaining teachers.

Only five of the agency’s civil rights offices remain nationwide. Those who are still with the department say it will now be “virtually impossible” to resolve discrimination complaints.

The agency distributes billions in federal money to colleges and schools and plays an important regulatory role in services for students with disabilities those from low-income families.

Much of the Education Department’s money for K-12 schools goes through large federal programs, such as Title I for low-income schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Those programs support services for students with disabilities, lower class sizes with additional teaching positions, and pay for social workers and other non-teaching roles in schools.

Linda McMahon on Thursday sketched out how key functions of the Education Department could be carved up to achieve President Trump’s goal of dismantling the agency, vowing to “reorient” the department while continuing some of its largest programs.

At a news conference after the hearing, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said McMahon’s nomination is part of a strategy to defund and privatize public schools. Noting the failure of recent ballot measures to expand school choice in some states, he said families are demanding investment in public schools.

“Billionaires that are in charge of our government today, they don’t know anything about the public school system because they don’t need it,” Murphy said.

The future of the Department of Education may hinge on the world views of two billionaires who abhor what they perceive as weakness and waste.

The Trump administration is finalizing plans to dismantle the Education Department through an executive order that would build on the president’s campaign promise to hammer the longtime conservative target.

Although the general thrust of Trump’s executive order is taking shape, the timing is a little awkward.

The nomination hearing for Trump’s nominee to lead the department, billionaire pro wrestling magnate Linda McMahon, hasn’t yet been scheduled as her team waits for her financial disclosures and other paperwork to be cleared by the Office of Government Ethics.