Donald Trump's administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to permit it to proceed with dismantling the Department of Education, a move that would leave school policy in the United States almost entirely in the hands of states and local boards.

President Donald Trump’s administration urged the Supreme Court on Friday to allow officials to gut the Department of Education, a key priority for the president that has been stymied by a series of lower court decisions.

Lawyers for the administration asked the Supreme Court to block a lower court order directing officials to reinstate thousands of fired employees.