[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-585288-105":59,"doc-detail-585288-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","the-shrinking-federal-footprint-education-returns-to-the-states","The Shrinking Federal Footprint: Education Returns to the States","","The paper examines how downsizing the U.S. Department of Education would change responsibilities for state and local education officials, educators, and school communities. It argues that federal rules and regulations have consumed significant staff time and diverted attention from classroom instruction, while fewer federal administrative burdens would free resources for student learning. It highlights four key policy areas likely to require new state and local decisions, including Title I, IDEA, civil rights, and transparency and student assessment, and recommends proactive planning for parents and schools.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-shrinking-federal-footprint-education-returns-to-the-states/585288/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/the-shrinking-federal-footprint-education-returns-to-the-states/585288.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Aria Callaghan","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":19},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What does the paper say about the impact of federal rules on K–12 schools?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Federal rules and regulations have drained staff time from K–12 schools and reduced attention available for classroom instruction.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How does the paper argue a smaller Education Department would affect state and local officials?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"It would reduce administrative and regulatory compliance burdens, allowing officials to redirect time and manpower toward student learning.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Which policy areas does the paper identify as most significant for state and local policymakers under a smaller federal role?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Title I, IDEA, civil rights, and transparency and student assessment are identified as the four most significant areas requiring decisions.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},585288,1792424246,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":19,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":36,"preview_page_count":4},962084926284,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","BACKGROUNDER  \nNo. 3944 | JaNuary 26, 2026  \nCENTEr FOr EDuCaTION POLICy  \nThe Shrinking Federal Footprint: Education Returns tothe States  \nJonathan Butcher and Madison Marino Doan  \nKEY TAKEAWAYS  \nresearch has demonstrated that federal rules and regulations have drained manhours from K–12 schools and diverted attention away from classroom instruction.  \na smaller Education Department means fewer administrative and regulatory burdens for state and local officials—giving them more time to expend on student learning.  \nState and local policymakers should make proactive decisions to prepare parents, students, and school officials for a smaller federal footprint in education.  \nI n 2025, federal officials began to downsize the  \nU.S. Department of Education, reducing staff  \nand moving administrative responsibilities to other federal agencies.1 What does a smaller federal footprint in education mean for those outside Washington, DC—those state and local policymakers developing policies and procedures for local schools, the educators teaching children each day, along with the families and students in school communities?  \nThe Education Department does not open or close schools, nor does the agency employ teachers. Still, complying with federal policies is a large part of state departments of education and school districts’employee responsibilities. State and local education employees help schools to carry out the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), for example, or to oversee the distribution of money forchildren in low-income areas under Title Iof federal education law.  \nThis paper, in its entirety, can be found at [https://report.heritage.org/bg3944](https://report.heritage.org/bg3944)  \nThe Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts avenue, NE | Washington, DC 20002 | (202) [546-4400 | heritage.org](546-4400 | heritage.org)[ ](546-4400 | heritage.org)Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress.  \nIt is common to find local education agencies (LEAs) and school-level administrators that employ staff solely for the purpose of implementing federal requirements. As a result, some administrators’ roles will evolve to implement state-level goals and priorities, or their federal responsibilities will be eliminated with the downsizing or closure of the Education Department.  \nCrucially, however, even a smaller Education Department will result in state and local officials with fewer administrative burdens and less regulatory compliance responsibilities—thus giving these officials more resources in the form of time and manpower to expend on students in their states and localities. Teachers and principals will have more autonomy to make decisions affecting school operations. Local educators will spend less time completing federal reports.  \nAmong the four most significant policy areas for which state and local policymakers will need to make decisions under their new authority as a result of a smaller federal education agency are (1) Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, reauthorized in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)),2 (2) IDEA,(3) civil rights, and (4) transparency and student assessment. Research from Heritage Foundation analysts has recommended that policymakers consider converting Title I spending to a block grant program, which would give state lawmakers more authority over how to use this spending, or to allow families to access their child’s portion of Title I spending and IDEA spending for use at education providers of their choice, even ifa child remains at an assigned public school. (Title I and IDEA spending would be converted into “micro-grants” or “micro-education savings accounts”(micro-ESAs) for use at tutoring services, education therapists such as speech therapists, and more) .3 This Backgrounder provides additional policy recommendations fo","cbCaigrHdWvE1Ai6","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigrHdWvE1Ai6","pdf",266054,16,"English","# Key Takeaways\n# Background: What a Smaller Federal Footprint Means\n# Roles and Administrative Burdens\n# Major Policy Areas Needing State and Local Decisions\n# Federal Regulatory Burdens on States and Schools","[{\"question\":\"What does the paper say about the impact of federal rules on K–12 schools?\",\"answer\":\"Federal rules and regulations have drained staff time from K–12 schools and reduced attention available for classroom instruction.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the paper argue a smaller Education Department would affect state and local officials?\",\"answer\":\"It would reduce administrative and regulatory compliance burdens, allowing officials to redirect time and manpower toward student learning.\"},{\"question\":\"Which policy areas does the paper identify as most significant for state and local policymakers under a smaller federal role?\",\"answer\":\"Title I, IDEA, civil rights, and transparency and student assessment are identified as the four most significant areas requiring decisions.\"}]","The Shrinking Federal Footprint: Education Returns to the States | PDF",1792054256]