RALEIGH — The U.S. Department of Education recently announced two new partnerships with other federal agencies to help reduce the federal role in education and make programs run more smoothly.
The agreements involve the State and Health and Human Services (HHS) departments, adding to several similar deals made last November. The goal is to cut red tape, improve efficiency and move toward returning more control over education to states, as promised by President Donald Trump.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the steps as practical ways to boost efficiency, coordination, school safety and accountability, putting students and families first.
“As we continue to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states, our new partnerships with the State Department and HHS represent a practical step toward greater efficiency, stronger coordination, and meaningful improvement,” McMahon said in a press release.
“Foreign gift data reported by universities should be readily accessible to our top national security experts, allowing for proactive and decisive action to protect America’s critical interests, as this partnership with State enables. By leveraging HHS’s extensive emergency preparedness capabilities, we are creating a stronger foundation for supporting students and strengthening the safety of the school building.
“Together, these efforts strengthen accountability and security in our education system, ensuring it serves students and families above all else.”
Officials from State and HHS echoed the focus on transparency in foreign funding and protecting children in schools.
“President Trump has been clear: Americans deserve transparency regarding foreign funding in American higher education,” said Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers. “This partnership gives the State Department additional tools and resources to make good on that promise while safeguarding the integrity of our academic institutions.”
“Nothing matters more than the safety of our children,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “HHS brings decades of frontline experience responding to crises and disasters, and we are putting that expertise directly into our schools. We will equip communities with the tools they need to protect students, support teachers, and keep families safe.”
Under the partnership with the State Department, the agency will handle the system for tracking and reporting foreign gifts and funding to U.S. colleges and universities, as required under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, to make the process more accurate, transparent and secure.
The partnership with HHS focuses on family involvement and school support programs, such as those for school safety, emergency responses to violence, community schools and family engagement centers. HHS will help manage these, provide technical support and tie them into its experience with disaster response and preparedness, all while the Education Department keeps oversight.
