WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Education recently expanded federal waiver authority for Florida and Illinois school systems, part of a broader Trump administration effort to shift more control over federal education spending and program administration to states and local districts.
The department approved Ed-Flex applications for both states, bringing the total number of states using the waiver authority to 18 — the highest level since the program’s creation.
Ed-Flex allows state education agencies to waive certain federal education requirements without first obtaining approval from Washington, reducing federal oversight over how some education funds are administered.
The move reflects the administration’s broader push to decentralize education policy and limit the federal government’s role in K-12 operational decision-making.
Under Ed-Flex authority, states can grant districts broader discretion over programs funded under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, including flexibility in how Student Support and Academic Enrichment funds are spent.
The department also distributed guidance encouraging states to make broader use of existing transferability provisions and Alternative Fund Use Authority rules that permit districts — particularly small rural systems — to redirect certain federal education dollars across programs based on local priorities.
Federal officials argue the expanded flexibility could allow districts to allocate resources more efficiently and respond faster to localized academic or operational challenges.
Critics of decentralized funding structures, however, have historically argued that broader waiver authority can weaken federal accountability standards tied to academic performance, equity requirements, and targeted student-support programs.
The Education Department linked the latest actions to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14242, signed March 20, 2025, which directed agencies to increase state and local control over education policy.
Assistant Secretary Kirsten Baesler described the effort as an attempt to “move decision-making closer to the classroom and elevate the power of local leadership.”
Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas welcomed the approval, arguing it would give the state greater flexibility in directing federal education funding toward classroom priorities.
The department indicated the latest guidance builds on prior directives encouraging states to seek waivers from what the administration characterizes as burdensome federal statutory and regulatory requirements.
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