Trump Administration Plan Shifts Education Responsibilities to Other Agencies
In a significant restructuring move, the Trump administration announced a plan to reallocate key functions of the U.S. Department of Education to various other federal agencies. This decision, revealed on Tuesday, bypasses congressional consent, raising questions among lawmakers and education stakeholders.
Originally established by Congress in 1979, the offices dedicated to elementary and secondary education, postsecondary education, and Indian education are now set to be managed by different federal departments. This transition is part of a broader strategy to streamline operations and reduce federal oversight.
According to sources who were briefed on the plan, six new agreements have been formed between the Education Department and other federal bodies. This realignment will see substantial shifts in day-to-day operations while keeping a minimal staff presence at the Education Department.
For instance, responsibilities of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, which administers Title I funding for low-income students, will be transferred to the U.S. Department of Labor. Similarly, the Office of Postsecondary Education will follow suit. The U.S. Department of the Interior is slated to manage the Office of Indian Education’s duties.
Additionally, international education and foreign language study programs will be overseen by the U.S. Department of State, while the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program will be managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This program provides childcare support on college campuses for low-income student-parents.
In an op-ed for USA Today, Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended these changes, stating, “We’ll peel back the layers of federal bureaucracy by partnering with agencies that are better suited to manage programs and empowering states and local leaders to oversee the rest.”
Earlier in July, a similar agreement was made with the Labor Department concerning adult education and family literacy programs. Despite the shift, the Education Department has asserted that it will maintain oversight of these programs.
However, the administration’s plan excludes certain key responsibilities such as special education, student civil rights enforcement, and student loans. Critics argue that since Congress established these offices, the relocations cannot legally occur without legislative approval. The administration has assured that statutory responsibilities will remain with the department, even as execution moves elsewhere.
Leading the briefing on these changes was Lindsey Burke, deputy chief of staff for policy and programs at the department. Burke, who co-authored a conservative blueprint, Project 2025, advocates for dismantling the Department of Education, stating, “The federal Department of Education should be eliminated. When power is exercised, it should empower students and families, not government.”
The legal feasibility of these actions could face challenges, and analysts anticipate potential lawsuits contesting the administration’s decisions.
