US Education Department to Cede Key Responsibilities

The U.S. Department of Education is preparing to relinquish significant responsibilities to other federal agencies, marking another step in the Trump administration's efforts to reduce the department's scope. The affected divisions include those focused on special education and civil rights.

The Office of Special Education Programs, which ensures federal compliance with laws governing the education of children and adolescents with disabilities, will see its duties transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services. Similarly, the Office for Civil Rights, responsible for investigating discrimination complaints in schools and universities nationwide, will have its functions taken over by the Department of Justice.

These transfers echo promises made by then-candidate Donald Trump during his presidential campaign to close the Department of Education and shift educational authority to individual states. While only Congress can formally dissolve the department, its former Secretary, Betsy DeVos, had gradually delegated tasks to other federal bodies. This latest move further curtails the department's influence over key educational policy areas.