US Ed Dept Partners with State & HHS to Cut Bureaucracy

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA 

In a significant policy move on Monday, the U.S. Department of Education announced two new interagency agreements designed to further cut federal education bureaucracy by shifting key responsibilities to the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the partnerships expand a broader effort to streamline federal education functions and return more authority and flexibility to states and local communities.

Under the agreement with the State Department, responsibility for managing Section 117 foreign gift and contract reporting from colleges and universities will be shared, allowing State to apply its national security and diplomatic expertise to ensure transparency and compliance with federal reporting requirements. Officials said this is intended to make the data more useful for stakeholders and experts tasked with safeguarding national interests.

The partnership with HHS will expand that department’s role in administering a range of school support and safety programs. These include the School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) initiative, national school safety activities, Ready to Learn educational programming, Full‑Service Community Schools, Promise Neighborhoods, and statewide family engagement centers. HHS is expected to integrate these efforts with its broader disaster preparedness and community services work to offer more unified support for students, educators, and families.

McMahon described the agreements as a practical continuation of the Education Department’s strategy to “break up the federal education bureaucracy,” reduce administrative burden, and improve coordination across federal agencies. She said partnering with agencies that have relevant expertise will help focus federal resources where they can be most effective for students and taxpayers.

These latest agreements mark the ninth interagency partnership the Education Department has forged since November 2025, part of a broader reshuffling that has already involved transfers of certain education program responsibilities to agencies such as the Departments of Labor and Interior. McMahon and supporters frame the restructuring as fulfilling an administration goal of returning more education authority to state and local levels.

However, critics, including Democratic lawmakers and education advocates, have sharply condemned the moves as harmful and, in some cases, “illegal.” Senator Patty Murray, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released a statement arguing that the agreements jeopardize vital resources for students and could burden schools and teachers with confusion and disruption in support services. She urged continued resistance to what she described as actions undermining the quality and reliability of federal education programs.

As these changes begin to roll out, questions remain about the long‑term impact on federal education oversight and whether shifting key program administration to other agencies will ultimately benefit or complicate support for students and educators nationwide. 

Discover Also Trump Pledges 15% Global Tariff After SCOTUS Ruling