The Trump Administration Initiates Transfer of Education Authority to States

The administration of President Donald Trump has announced the commencement of steps aimed at reorganizing the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). This initiative forms a core component of the administration’s stated strategy to curtail federal intervention in public schooling and delegate oversight to individual state governments. This action, which Trump had previously signaled, is designed to fulfill a key campaign promise regarding the return of educational control “where it belongs—to the states.” Education Secretary Linda McMahon characterized the move as a “bold step to dismantle federal bureaucracy in the education sector.”

The restructuring involves establishing new partnerships with four other federal agencies: the Department of Labor, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of State. These departments are slated to absorb various functions previously housed within the DOE. According to an official White House statement, the new structure is intended to “streamline federal educational activities within legally required programs, reduce administrative burdens, and realign programs and activities to better serve students and grant recipients.”

The Department of Education was originally established by Congress in 1979 under the provisions of Public Law 96-88, with the mandate to ensure equal access to educational opportunities nationwide. Before its creation, federal education matters were overseen by the Department of Health and Social Services. The agency’s primary duties included managing student loans, monitoring academic outcomes, and enforcing civil rights compliance. It is important to note that federal funding currently accounts for less than 10 percent of the total expenditures made by states on education.

The transfer of authority includes a specific distribution of responsibilities among the partnering agencies. The Department of Labor will assume the administration of K-12 programs, including English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction and grants designated for charter schools. The Department of the Interior is set to take responsibility for educational programs serving Native American populations. Meanwhile, the Department of State will oversee international education initiatives and foreign language studies. Finally, the Department of Health and Human Services will manage grants for parents pursuing higher education, along with the accreditation of foreign medical training institutions.

Critics, including representatives from the Democratic Party, have voiced strong disapproval, asserting that the administration is bypassing Congress and “slashing resources” vital for schools and vulnerable students. Conversely, conservatives have welcomed the initiative, hailing it as progress toward reducing the federal apparatus. Federal law already restricts the Department of Education from interfering with curricula and teaching methodologies, as these powers are reserved for the states, which provide more than 85 percent of the financial backing for public schools.

Despite the sweeping changes, key areas remain under the purview of the Department of Education. These include the substantial $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio and the enforcement of rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While these functions remain for now, further transfers have not been ruled out. Proponents of the process believe that local control will ultimately lead to greater innovation. Historically, attempts at decentralization are not new; for example, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) eliminated the federal accountability system known as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), returning responsibility to the states. Nevertheless, critics caution that this transfer of power could result in increased variability in academic standards and complicate the process of student transitions between states.