The Education Department will transfer major oversight responsibilities to other federal agencies, with civil rights enforcement moving to the Justice Department and special education oversight shifting to Health and Human Services.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is moving federal oversight of special education and education-related civil rights enforcement out of the Department of Education and into other agencies.
Under the changes, the Justice Department will take over enforcement of civil rights in education, while the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education, the Associated Press reported.
The Justice Department will also assume responsibility for protecting student privacy. In addition, the agency will provide certain training and consultation services to schools.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the restructuring is intended to place federal responsibilities with agencies better suited to carry them out.
“The Trump Administration has been clear: as we scale back federal micromanagement when it hinders success, we are equally committed to bolstering the efficacy of federal oversight where it is essential,” McMahon said in a statement.
The move marks a major shift in how Washington handles two of the most sensitive areas of federal education policy. Civil rights enforcement in schools has traditionally been associated with the Education Department’s role in ensuring compliance with federal protections. Special education oversight has also been a core federal responsibility tied to services and protections for students with disabilities.
The administration said the changes will align those duties with agencies it views as better positioned to support them. Civil rights cases in education will now fall under the Justice Department’s authority, while special education programs will be handled by HHS.
The announcement comes as the Trump administration continues its broader effort to reduce the Education Department’s footprint and reassign federal education functions. McMahon said the administration is seeking to limit federal micromanagement while strengthening oversight in areas where it considers federal involvement necessary.
The Education Department did not provide additional details in the information submitted about the timeline for the transition, how staffing will be affected or whether schools and states will receive new guidance on compliance procedures.
The changes are expected to draw scrutiny from educators, disability advocates, civil rights groups and state officials as responsibilities long housed within the Education Department are transferred to agencies with different missions and enforcement structures.
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