On Oct. 21, 2025, the Department of Education said it was exploring putting some special education programs under other federal agencies. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications Madi Biedermann told Newsweek and States Newsroom the department is exploring partnerships. She said no agreement has been signed and the work is exploratory. The announcement came amid a broader Trump administration effort to shrink the department.

The department currently administers roughly $15 billion a year for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. That funding supports services, teacher training, and compliance monitoring for about seven and a half million students with disabilities. IDEA requires states to provide a free appropriate public education and gives families procedural safeguards. The Department enforces complaints and civil rights rules tied to the law.

Recent staffing cuts put about 465 employees at risk, including about 121 at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). A court temporarily blocked some layoffs, and some enforcement work has continued. Advocates and state officials say the cuts raise real questions about the department's capacity to enforce IDEA during any transition.

Moving IDEA oversight would likely require congressional action and changes to federal law. Reporting has named the Department of Health and Human Services as a possible new home, but HHS lacks the same education enforcement structure. Policy experts warn a transfer could disrupt enforcement and services unless Congress sets clear roles and funding.