The U.S. Department of Education is transferring management of six programs to other federal agencies in the Trump administration's continued push to eventually close the agency and give states more control over education funding decisions, according to a Tuesday announcement.
The shifting of responsibilities is a historic change for the 46-year-old agency that has been the central hub of federal grant-making, technical assistance and civil rights enforcement for schools and colleges.
The programs primed for transfers include:
- The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to the U.S. Department of Labor.
- The Office of Postsecondary's institution-based grants to the Labor Department.
- Indian education programs to the U.S. Department of Interior.
- On-campus child care support for parents enrolled in college to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Foreign medical accreditation to HHS.
- International education and foreign language studies programs to the U.S. Department of State.
The changes do not include movement for the management of special education, civil rights enforcement or student financial aid, however, a senior Education Department official who spoke during a Tuesday press call said the agency is continuing to explore options for those programs.
Editor’s note: This story is developing and will be updated.
