The U.S. Department of Education would face a 3% cut in funding under President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2027 budget request, including $8.5 billion in eliminations and consolidations for selected K-12 programs. It would also legislate the transfer of some responsibilities out of the agency.
"The Budget puts the Department of Education (ED), which has failed the Nation's children, teachers, and families, on a path to elimination," the budget proposal said.
The proposed budget requests $76.5 billion for the Education Department for FY 2027, compared to an FY 2026 funding level of $79 billion. It would maintain Title I at $18.4 billion and increase special education funding by $539 million, but — similar to the president's FY 2026 request — it calls for the elimination of some existing grants while consolidating others into single funding streams for states to distribute at their own discretion.
For example, it proposes consolidating 17 K-12 grant funding streams worth $6.5 billion into a single grant, which the administration said would allow states to spend "based on their needs without Federal prescription."
It would cut 12 other programs, totaling $2.1 billion, including:
- All $70 million for Teacher Quality Partnership grants, often used to diversify the teacher workforce.
- All $7 million for Equity Assistance Centers, established as part of desegregation efforts.
- All $890 million for English Language Acquisition, which helped districts support English language learners and which the budget said would "encourage bilingualism."
- All $50 million for the Comprehensive Centers program, which is authorized under ESEA and provides assistance to states and districts on improving instruction and closing achievement gaps.
- A $428 million cut to Migrant Education and Special Programs for Migrant Students, which supports immigrant students.
Many of the proposed cuts and consolidations were similar to those contained in the president's budget request for FY 2026, much of which Congress ultimately scrapped.
The proposal would also solidify into legislation the Education Department's efforts to shift career and technical education programs and responsibilities to the U.S. Department of Labor. While the Education Department has already entered an interagency agreement that would do so, the budget request would officially move those programs under the Labor Department's wing.
Opposition trickles in
The FY 2027 budget request would continue many of the efforts the administration has already spearheaded through other means.
For example, its proposed elimination of the Teacher Quality Partnership grants and Equity Assistance Centers was preceded by efforts at the Education Department last year to close the Equity Assistance Centers — a move that was partially successfully challenged in court — and end the grants that the agency said were "divisive."
The administration has also repeatedly, and relatively unsuccessfully, asked Congress to consolidate and cut K-12 funding while eliminating the Education Department entirely — a task that only the legislative branch has the legal authority to do.
“The Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request delivers on President Trump’s vision to return education to the states where it belongs," said Education Department press secretary Savannah Newhouse in a statement emailed to K-12 Dive. "This Budget would put an end to divisive, ideologically-driven programs and ensure that any federal education dollars go toward priorities including support for low-income students, students with disabilities, expanding education freedom, and enhancing workforce development."
However, the proposal received pushback from educational equity advocates, who say the changes would reduce accountability for states and put public education funding and historically marginalized students at risk.
The proposed K-12 cuts would "target underserved student populations, including students with disabilities and immigrant students" and do away with essential programs, said EdTrust in a Friday response to the budget.
The National Parents Union also opposed the proposal.
"Budgets are moral documents," said National Parents Union President Keri Rodrigues in a statement. "This one makes clear where our children stand."
The president's budget request is only a suggestion for Congress, which ultimately approves the final funding numbers for the government. However, it is often used to communicate the administration's priorities.
