Department of Education: Full Costs and Savings Estimate Needed for Reduction-in-Force and Restructuring of the Office for Civil Rights

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang

The report examines actions involving the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) following the Department of Education’s March 2025 Reduction-in-Force and reorganization, including associated costs and savings and impacts on OCR workload. It describes how RIF notices affected about half of OCR staff, the closure of regional offices, and paid administrative leave costs that reached roughly $28.5 to $38 million. It also evaluates OCR complaint handling, investigation processes, and outcomes, and recommends estimating full RIF costs and documenting analyses required by OMB and OPM guidance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Why This Matters

Key Takeaways

How does OCR enforce federal civil rights laws?

Complaint processing and investigation outcomes

U.S. Government Accountability Office Department of Education: Full Costs and Savings Estimate Needed for Reduction-inForce and Restructuring of the Office for Civil Rights GAO-26-108320 Q&A Report to the Ranking Member, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, U.S. Senate January 29 , 2026 Why This Matters In March 2025, the Department of Education (Education) announced a Reduction-in-Force (RIF) and reorganization that would cut its workforce by about half and close several offices nationwide. That same month, the President issued an Executive Order stating that the “Secretary of Education shall, to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education…”. According to a press release from the Secretary of Education, the RIF actions reflected a commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources were directed to students, parents, and teachers. Three offices within Education—the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) , the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) , and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES)—collectively represented about 70 percent of the approximately 1,250 staff subject to Education’s March 2025 RIF actions , according to information Education provided to Congress. Staff who were subject to the RIF were scheduled to be separated (i.e. , terminated) in early June 2025. However, subsequent preliminary injunctions prohibited Education from doing so. According to Education, all RIFactions were paused as of November 21 , 2025. Education rescinded the RIFactions for OCR staff in early January 2026. OCR enforces several federal civil rights laws, including laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin; sex; disability; and age. OCR’s enforcement authority extends to institutions that receive funds from Education, such as state educational agencies, elementary and secondary school systems, and colleges and universities. OCR also has responsibilities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits discrimination by public entities whether or not they receive federal financial assistance. We were asked to examine issues related to OCR’s operations in light of recent RIF actions. This report provides information about actions that occurred from February 2025 through early January 2026 related to RIFs at OCR, associated costs and savings, and OCR’s workload. We plan to examine similar issues in FSA and IES in separate reports. Key Takeaways • About half (299 out of 575) of OCR staff received RIF notices in March 2025. The agency also closed seven of its 12 OCR regional offices. OCR staff who were subject to the March 2025 RIF were placed on paid administrative leave. Staff were prohibited from working while on leave. Based on Education’s court filings, we calculated that paying the salaries and benefits for these staff from March 21, 2025, to December 12, 2025, cost approximately $28.5 to $38 million. • According to Education, there was ongoing analysis of the costs and savings associated with the OCR RIF. We determined the agency could not demonstrate that it included all potential costs and savings and did not document these analyses. Guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) required this documentation. • We recommend that Education estimate the full costs and savings associated with its 2025 RIF actions and document its analysis, as required by OMB and OPM guidance. • From March 11, 2025, to September 23 , 2025, OCR received more than 9,000 complaints of alleged discrimination and resolved more than 7,000 . About 90 percent of these were resolved by Education dismissing the complaints. How does OCR enforce federal civil rights laws? OCR primarily enforces federal civil rights laws by responding to complaints of alleged violations. 1 OCR can also initiate i

FAQs

What events triggered the report’s focus on OCR?

In March 2025, the Department of Education announced a Reduction-in-Force and reorganization affecting OCR and other offices. The report covers actions from February 2025 through early January 2026 related to OCR RIFs, costs, savings, and workload.

How did the March 2025 RIF affect OCR staff and operations?

About half of OCR staff received RIF notices, and OCR closed seven of its 12 regional offices. Staff subject to the RIF were placed on paid administrative leave, and Education’s filings were used to estimate administrative leave costs from March 21, 2025 to December 12, 2025 at about $28.5 to $38 million.

How does OCR enforce federal civil rights laws and resolve complaints?

OCR primarily enforces civil rights laws by responding to complaints and can also initiate investigations when it identifies potential violations. Complaints may be resolved through dismissal, mediation, or investigation, and investigations can end with insufficient evidence, non-compliance, or a mixed determination, followed by negotiation of required corrective actions.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang