WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Education has entered four new interagency agreements with the Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice, expanding collaboration on special education, civil rights enforcement, student privacy, and school advisory services as the administration seeks to streamline federal program oversight.
The agreements transfer portions of program administration and support functions to agencies with subject-matter expertise while maintaining the Education Department’s statutory responsibilities, according to the department.
The move follows 10 interagency partnerships established over the past year and reflects a broader effort to reduce administrative duplication across federal agencies while maintaining oversight of key education programs.
“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,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated.
Under the largest of the new agreements, HHS will partner with the Education Department on special education and rehabilitative services. The agencies indicated the arrangement is intended to improve coordination of federal resources, support employment and educational outcomes for individuals with disabilities, and reduce administrative barriers between programs.
“Through this partnership, HHS and the Department of Education will cut bureaucratic barriers, better align federal resources, and deliver more effective support for individuals with disabilities and their families,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated.
The Education Department and Justice Department also established a civil rights enforcement partnership designed to coordinate investigations, complaint resolution, and enforcement activities involving federal education-related civil rights laws.
“Every student has an unequivocal right to learn and participate in school activities free from discrimination,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated. He added that the partnership is intended to strengthen enforcement involving discrimination based on race, sex, and disability.
A separate agreement between Education and Justice focuses on student privacy protections. Under that arrangement, the agencies will coordinate investigations and provide guidance to schools and educational institutions regarding compliance with federal student privacy laws and parental rights requirements.
The fourth agreement expands cooperation on training and advisory services related to school desegregation. The Justice Department, which has long served as the federal government’s lead authority on desegregation matters, will provide additional expertise and support for educational agencies seeking assistance in developing and implementing desegregation plans.
The Education Department stated that civil rights enforcement responsibilities and disability-related protections established under federal law will remain in place under the new agreements.
Fact sheets outlining each partnership are available through the U.S. Department of Education.
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