Following his signing of an executive order last Thursday directing the Secretary of Education to dismantle the Department of Education (USDE), President Trump announced last Friday:
USDE’s Office of Special Education will transition to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is important to note that only Congress has the authority to move functions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as the president does not have the authority to eliminate or move offices or positions created by Congress.
School meal programs, which are overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture not the Department of Education, will also move to HHS. Such a move would also require Congressional action.
Student loans will move to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Small Business Administration.
With regards to funding, federal funds comprise nearly a quarter of our state’s education budget, the most of any state. A total of 22 states rely on federal funds for at least 15% of their education funding. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has stated there will not be any defunding of programs that directly impact students.
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