Gov. Kay Ivey said Wednesday she supports President Trump in his efforts to reduce the size of government, including the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education.

“I’m all for shrinking government where we can,” Ivey said.

“And truth be known, every state has an education department. I know we’ve got a good one and a state board of education and local boards that can handle education very well.

“So, I’m going to trust President Trump on this one.”

Ivey made the comments in response to questions from reporters after she spoke to the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday morning.

The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday it was about to lay off over 1,300 of its more than 4,000 employees.

Alabama education officials have said they are preparing for the possible disruption caused by the federal agency’s shutdown.

Public colleges and universities in the state rely the most heavily on federal funds, with about a quarter of revenue, $1.98 billion, coming from government grants and contracts in fiscal year 2023.

In Alabama’s K-12 schools, federal funding accounted for about $615 million, or 9% of the total $6.7 billion allocated in fiscal year 2024.

Alabama officials have said they do not expect the federal funding to stop if the agency is closed.

“Our schools depend on these funds, and as long as the funds continue to be made available for our schools, less federal regulation and burdensome paperwork we would welcome,” State Superintendent Eric Mackey said.