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The Education Department announced two new interagency agreements on Monday, transferring additional programs and grants to other federal agencies, furthering the Trump administration’s goal of reducing the department’s size and influence.
Under the first agreement, the Department of Health and Human Services will assume control of grant programs that provide millions of dollars to schools for safety and community engagement initiatives. The second agreement transfers responsibility for tracking foreign gifts to universities to the State Department.
“As we continue to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states, our new partnerships with the State Department and HHS represent a practical step toward greater efficiency, stronger coordination, and meaningful improvement,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.
While President Trump and Secretary McMahon acknowledge that only Congress has the authority to fully eliminate the Education Department, they have consistently indicated that its core functions could be distributed among different federal agencies. This strategy represents a significant shift in how federal education policy is administered and marks a continuation of the administration’s efforts to decentralize education oversight.
The transfer to HHS affects a limited set of grants without immediately impacting the Education Department’s special education programs. However, McMahon has previously expressed her intention to eventually move special education programs to HHS as well, telling advocates as recently as December that this remains part of her long-term vision.
These plans for special education have proven controversial, with McMahon facing scrutiny even from members of her own party. The latest agreements notably exclude any mention of the department’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, which manages billions in grants and oversees state compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The new agreements follow seven similar transfers executed last year, which moved substantial work to the Departments of Labor and Interior, as well as State and HHS. Those earlier agreements involved billions in federal funding streams, including Title I programs that support low-income students.
Union representatives for department employees criticized the moves, arguing that these transfers shift educational responsibilities to agencies lacking expertise in education policy and implementation.
“This isn’t efficiency — Secretary McMahon is creating confusion for schools and colleges, eroding public trust, and harming students and families,” said AFGE Local 252 President Rachel Gittleman in a statement. “This is an insult to the tens of millions of students who rely on the Department to safeguard access to quality education and to the taxpayers who depend on federal oversight to prevent waste.”
Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington expressed similar concerns, calling the agreements “illegal” and warning that they create “pointless new bureaucracy” while jeopardizing critical resources for students and families.
As part of the new arrangements, the State Department will take a larger role in enforcing Section 117 requirements, which mandate that colleges and universities disclose gifts of $250,000 or more annually. This increased oversight of foreign donations comes amid growing concerns about international influence in American higher education institutions.
Meanwhile, the agreement with HHS transfers six education programs to the Administration for Children and Families, which will now oversee grant competitions and provide technical assistance for these initiatives.
However, the long-term viability of these programs remains in doubt. The Trump administration’s 2026 budget request proposed eliminating funding for five of the six programs being transferred to HHS. In December, some recipients of Promise Neighborhoods and Full-Service Community Schools grants were informed that their funding would not continue in 2026, effectively ending programs that provide academic and afterschool enrichment opportunities for students.
The strategic dismantling of the Education Department represents a significant departure from decades of federal education policy and signals a fundamental shift in how the federal government approaches its role in American education.
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10 Comments
This is an interesting development in the ongoing debate over the appropriate level of federal involvement in education. I’ll be curious to see how it impacts crucial issues like school safety, university funding oversight, and education standards.
Distributing the Education Department’s responsibilities across multiple agencies seems like a pragmatic approach to streamlining the federal role in education. But it will be crucial to ensure clear lines of accountability and coordination.
Well said. Effective interagency cooperation will be key to making this transition successful and avoiding unintended consequences.
Interesting move to distribute the Education Department’s responsibilities across other agencies. Streamlining federal bureaucracy could improve coordination, but we’ll have to see if it leads to more efficient and effective education policies.
Agreed, the devil will be in the details on how this plays out. Reducing federal oversight could give states more flexibility, but we need to ensure education standards and access don’t suffer.
I’m curious to see how this shift in responsibilities impacts key programs like school safety initiatives and tracking foreign funding for universities. Proper oversight will be critical.
Good point. Transferring these functions to other agencies could introduce new challenges around communication and accountability. Rigorous monitoring will be essential.
While reducing bureaucratic redundancy is admirable, I hope this shift doesn’t undermine important education initiatives and oversight. Maintaining high standards and equitable access should be the top priority.
This seems like a continuation of the administration’s efforts to limit the federal government’s role in education. I have mixed feelings – decentralization could foster innovation, but may also lead to inconsistencies across states.
Agreed, it’s a complex issue without easy answers. Balancing federal oversight and state autonomy in education is an ongoing challenge.