WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Education announced plans on Tuesday to transfer specific responsibilities to other federal agencies, a significant move aligned with President Trump’s goal of eliminating the department.
Since federal law assigns some programs to the Department of Education, the administration is attempting to sidestep the need for Congressional approval by executing six interagency agreements with other departments to take over specific program aspects, particularly grant management.
Key Program Transfers
The agreements involve the following departments:
- Department of Labor: To take over aspects of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and postsecondary education programs.
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): To co-manage programs for child care access for student parents and medical accreditation of foreign schools.
- Department of Interior: To assume some responsibilities for the Indian Education Program.
- Department of State: To co-manage international education and foreign language studies programs.
A senior official stated that these partnerships mark a “major step forward in improving management” by leveraging the administrative expertise of partner agencies, streamlining bureaucracy, and ultimately delivering better services to grantees and families.
The official emphasized that statutory oversight for these programs will remain with the Department of Education, but other processes, especially grant management, will be shifted. Some Department of Education staff will transfer to the new agencies, though no specific date for the complete execution of the agreements or staff transfers has been set.
This plan follows a March executive order from President Trump to reduce the department to the smallest size legally possible. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has previously advocated for moving programs like the Office for Civil Rights to the Justice Department.
The department is reportedly exploring more such interagency agreements. The move is expected to face pushback from Democrats and likely legal challenges.
