Reorganization of Education Department: A Step Toward Closure?

Wed Nov 19 2025 03:42:14 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Education Department is transferring key responsibilities to other federal agencies as part of President Trump's plan to dismantle the department. This transition raises questions about the effect on funding and services for schools across the nation.

The recent decision by the Education Department to reassign its functions to other federal agencies is part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to shut down the department entirely. While officials assure that state and federal funding for education will remain stable, concerns mount over who will take over critical services, especially for students with disabilities and low-income communities. This article explores the implications of this structural change and its potential impact on America's educational landscape.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Trump administration continues its pursuit of dismantling the Education Department, a significant reorganization has been initiated. Key functions of the department are being transferred to various federal agencies, marking a potential step toward fulfilling the president's campaign promise to close the department entirely.

Under this restructure, operations related to school funding and educational support, which were historically managed by the Education Department, will now fall under the auspices of agencies such as the Department of Labor and the Department of Resources. However, Education officials maintain that this transition will not impact future funding allocated by Congress to states and educational institutions. Concerns linger over the future employment of current staff within the department, but no definitive information has been provided.

This shift aligns with President Trump's longstanding critique of the Education Department, which he claims has been infiltrated by leftist ideology. Since taking office, Trump has advocated for substantial reductions in its scope and budget, prompting agency leaders to devise a plan for redistributing its functions. This conversation garnered attention when the Supreme Court upheld the decision to execute mass layoffs within the department, further reducing its workforce.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has actively promoted the advantages of this cabinet-level overhaul in recent days. She suggests that parental support and grant allocation could be more effectively managed at the state level, advocating for a streamlined approach to education funding and services.

The following sections detail how funding and programs currently managed by the Education Department will be reassigned. This transition raises pertinent questions about the operational capacity of other government entities to manage these critical functions.

Reallocated Funds and Educational Oversight

The Education Department is vital for channeling billions in federal assistance to schools and educational organizations throughout the nation. Though it is primarily state and local governments that provide educational funding, its role in managing federal funds will persist through other agencies.

Beginning immediately, the Department of Labor will assume oversight of significant funding streams, such as Title I funds for schools serving low-income students. Other reallocations include:

The Department of Health and Human Services will handle a grant program designated for parents enrolled in college.
Foreign language programs will shift to management under the State Department.
Native American education initiatives will be administered by the Department of the Interior.

While the handling of federal student loans, including Pell Grants, will remain intact for now, there are indications McMahon and Trump might consider reassignment to different federal entities later. For the time being, education applicants can still access resources like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) through the Education Department's website.

Support for Students with Disabilities

Currently, the Education Department will maintain its distribution of financial support aimed at improving resources for students with disabilities. However, there are whispers of transferring responsibilities for disabled student affairs to the Department of Health and Human Services.

This includes investigations into educational institutions that may have violated disability rights laws and other civil rights statutes concerning discrimination. The future of civil rights enforcement within educational contexts, which has already faced significant cuts, remains uncertain as experienced staff has been drastically reduced.

The effectiveness of the reshuffling remains to be seen. As the nations' education system undergoes these substantial changes, questions loom over whether all communities, especially those on low income and students with disabilities, will continue to receive the educational support they genuinely require.