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Under new interagency agreements that do not require congressional approval, the Department of Labor will assume responsibility for administering K-12 programs including Title I funding for disadvantaged students, charter schools, English language learners, and arts education. The Department of the Interior will take over programs serving Native American students, while the State Department will manage educational programs for international students. The Department of Health and Human Services will absorb additional education-related initiatives.
The announcement represents a significant step toward fulfilling Trump's campaign promise to eliminate the Department of Education, which he reiterated in March when signing an executive order to close the department to the "maximum extent" allowed by law.
"We're going to be returning education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs," Trump said at the time.
The Education Department said the restructuring would "streamline federal education activities on the legally required programs, reduce administrative burdens, and refocus programs and activities to better serve students and grantees." The Department noted that states would continue to receive all Title I formula funds, though the money will now flow through the Labor Department rather than Education.
The announcement triggered immediate backlash from education advocates, civil rights organizations, and Democratic lawmakers who characterized the move as both illegal and harmful to students.
"This move is neither streamlining nor reform—it's an abdication and abandonment of America's future," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. "Rather than show leadership in helping all students seize their potential, it walks away from that responsibility."
