Trump Administration Plans Major Shift in Education Department’s Functionality
The U.S. Department of Education is set to undergo significant changes as the Trump administration outlines a strategy to delegate many of its responsibilities to other federal entities. The initiative, which bypasses congressional approval, proposes transferring key educational duties to different federal departments, a move that has raised legal and political questions.
Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The proposed plan reallocates functions related to elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education, as well as Indian education, to other federal departments. Notably, these offices were established within the Education Department by Congress in 1979, and the reallocation is occurring without legislative consent.
According to confidential sources familiar with the plan, the administration has finalized six new agreements with various federal agencies. These agreements involve the transfer of day-to-day operations of federally mandated programs, with a minimal number of staff remaining at the Education Department.
Under the new framework, tasks managed by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, including the administration of Title I funds for low-income students, are expected to move to the Department of Labor. Similarly, the Office of Postsecondary Education’s responsibilities will also transition to Labor.
The Department of the Interior is set to absorb the Office of Indian Education’s responsibilities, while the Department of State will oversee international education and foreign language studies. Additionally, the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program, which provides childcare support for low-income student-parents, will be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
In a USA Today op-ed, Education Secretary Linda McMahon commented on the initiative, saying, “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.”
While the plan includes several major shifts, some core functions such as special education, student civil rights enforcement, and student loans will remain within the department. However, critics argue that these changes are legally questionable since Congress originally established these offices within the Education Department.
Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., has expressed strong opposition, stating, “This is an outright illegal effort to continue dismantling the Department of Education, and it is students and families who will suffer the consequences.”
The Education Department maintains that statutory responsibilities will still reside within the department, even as operational tasks are carried out elsewhere. However, the legality of this arrangement remains uncertain and could face judicial scrutiny.
Lindsey Burke, deputy chief of staff for policy and programs at the Education Department, led a briefing on the plan. Burke is also a co-author of Project 2025, a conservative blueprint advocating for the dismantling of the Education Department. Burke has previously stated, “The federal Department of Education should be eliminated. When power is exercised, it should empower students and families, not government.”
As the plan unfolds, it is anticipated that there will be legal challenges opposing the administration’s actions.
