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Yesterday, the Trump Administration announced the transfer of several major U.S. Department of Education (ED) programs to other federal agencies through six new interagency agreements.
As members of the Arts Education Alliance, we are deeply concerned that shifting core responsibilities away from the nation's primary education agency undermines stable, equitable access to learning opportunities for students across the country.
What Is Changing
Under these new agreements:
- Key programs within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) and institution-based programs within the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) have been moved to the Department of Labor.
- Indian Education programs are now housed within the Department of the Interior.
- International Education and Foreign Language programs have been reassigned to the Department of State.
- The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program and Foreign Medical Accreditation have been transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services.
What Is at Risk
Fragmenting these programs across multiple agencies risks weakening the coordinated federal support that is fundamental to providing students across the country with a balanced education. OESE-which includes the Office of Well-Rounded Education-administers key programs authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act, including Titles I, II, and IV-A, as well as the Assistance for Arts Education program.
These programs help guarantee that students nationwide have access to strong arts learning opportunities that enrich their academic experience and support their well-being. Disrupting centralized support for these programs could have serious consequences for the many schools, districts, and arts programs that rely on these resources.
Our Position
The Arts Education Alliance firmly opposes these program transfers. At a time when students need greater access to high-quality arts instruction, shifting programs away from the Department of Education jeopardizes the unified leadership that educators and families depend on and puts the future of equitable arts education at risk.
How to Take Action
As FY 2026 budget discussions resume following the government shutdown, we urge arts education supporters to continue contacting members of Congress using the button below.
Now is the time to push for sustained and increased federal investments to ensure these programs receive strong, coherent support-regardless of which agency oversees them.
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