Trump Administration Announces New Agency Partnerships and Moves Key K-12 Education Programming to Department of Labor

On November 18, 2025, the Trump Administration announced that it will reassign some of the Department of Education’s key programs, including those involving K-12 education, to the Department of Labor. As described by the Trump Administration, this shift was a part of a larger announcement of six new interagency agreements (“IAAs”) with four agencies to break up the federal education bureaucracy. Officials explained that the restructuring offers greater efficiency, reduced administrative burdens, and stronger alignment between education and workforce readiness—reasoning consistent with Executive Order No. 14278, which seeks to provide a coordinated federal education and the workforce. This shift furthers the message behind the President’s Executive Order No. 14242, which is to “return authority over education to the States and local communities.” The Trump Administration explained that the authority to transfer these programs to the Department of Labor is inherent in the use of IAAs, a tool commonly used by government agencies to share services, collaborate, and ensure efficient service delivery, according to the companion Fact Sheet.

As background, since its establishment in 1980, the Department of Education has played a signification role in distributing federal funds, enforcing civil rights laws, and conducting educational research. The Department of Education also provides regulations for the funds that it distributes. Now, under the IAA, the Department of Labor will take a growing role in administering select elementary and secondary education programs. The shift of key K-12 programming to the Department of Labor involves billions of dollars in federal funds—including streams that provide additional funds to school districts to serve economically disadvantaged students and English Language Learner (“ELL”) students. The Department of Labor will now manage programs such as those that fall under Title I, Parts A through D and Title II, Part A, which provides additional resources to K-12 schools serving such students.

This announcement has signaled a significant and unprecedented shift in how K-12 education is regulated, including how funds will be distributed from the federal government. This could affect how schools and school districts access these funds and how the conditions surrounding the funds are regulated. More specifically, concerns as to the capacity of the Department of Labor, an agency that oversees significantly fewer federal funds, to efficiently dispense Title I and related funds have been raised. Additionally, there are potential implications related to whether the Department of Labor has the expertise to manage the necessary accountability and oversight of schools which receive these funds.

Education advocates have questioned the legality of the decision, arguing that congressional approval is needed to modify the functions and responsibilities of federal agencies, and signaling that legal challenges could be on the way. We will continue to advise and report on further developments. If you have any questions on how the shift may impact your school or school district, please contact a Franczek attorney.