The Trump administration took a major step toward its long-promised goal of dismantling the federal Department of Education (ED) this week, announcing the transfer of several key education programs to other agencies.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon outlined the plan in a Fox News appearance, framing it as a move to reduce federal bureaucracy and return control to states. The restructuring follows years of conservative criticism of the ED as an overreach of federal power, dating back to its creation in 1979. While proponents argue this shift empowers local decision-making, critics warn it could disrupt funding for vulnerable student populations.

Breaking up the federal education bureaucracy

The ED signed six new interagency agreements (IAAs) with the Department of Labor (DOL), Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Department of State, redistributing billions in grant programs. Most notably, DOL will now oversee major K-12 funding streams, including Title I, a program providing $18 billion annually to schools serving low-income students. Adult education programs had already been transferred to DOL in June, signaling the administration's broader strategy.

"Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission," McMahon said in a statement. She emphasized that the changes would "refocus education on students, families and schools" while maintaining federal funding levels. However, Rhode Island's K-12 education chief, Angelica Infante-Green, expressed concerns: "People might think it's just funding and giving them the money, but it's not. It is about how to co-mingle some of the funds to educate a child holistically."

What stays—and what goes

The ED retains control over its $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio, civil rights enforcement and programs for students with disabilities—though McMahon has suggested even these could eventually shift. Meanwhile, HHS will manage grants for college students who are parents, State will take foreign language programs and DOI will oversee Native American education initiatives.

White House spokeswoman Liz Huston framed the move as fulfilling Trump's campaign pledge: "The Democrat shutdown made one thing unmistakably clear: students and teachers don't need Washington bureaucrats micromanaging their classrooms." The administration has long argued that the ED duplicates state efforts, citing the government shutdown as proof that schools function without federal oversight.