Education Department's two biggest responsibilities shifted to other federal agencies

The Trump administration announced plans to transfer two core functions of the U.S. Department of Education to other federal agencies. Special education oversight and student civil rights enforcement will move out of the department, according to statements from administration officials.

Special education responsibilities fall under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which guarantees free appropriate public education to students with disabilities. This program serves roughly 7 million students nationwide. The administration did not specify which agency would assume these duties.

Student civil rights enforcement covers investigations into discrimination complaints based on race, color, national origin, sex, and disability. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) handles thousands of complaints annually from students and parents alleging violations at schools and colleges.

The proposed shifts represent a dramatic restructuring of federal education authority. These functions have resided at the Education Department since its creation in 1980. The moves suggest the administration views the department's core mission differently than previous administrations.

Details remain sparse about implementation timelines and how the transition would work operationally. Educators, disability advocates, and civil rights organizations have not yet weighed in publicly on the proposals. Questions remain about whether Congress would need to authorize such transfers or whether executive action alone would suffice.

This restructuring aligns with the administration's broader push to reduce federal involvement in education. It follows calls from some conservatives to eliminate the Education Department entirely, though the administration has not formally proposed that step.

The moves could reshape how schools address special education disputes and discrimination complaints. Students with disabilities and families filing civil rights complaints may face different processes depending on which agency takes over. The administration has not addressed how these changes would affect timeline for resolving cases or the resources devoted to investigations.