Policy Backgrounders

A Brief History of the US Department of Education

December 20, 2024

Key Insights

Congress established the current US Department of Education in 1979, although a federal agency with a sole focus on education was first formed in 1867 as part of Reconstruction-era policies. However, dissent and apprehension around the first Department forced its downgrade into an office a year later and continues to fuel modern opposition regarding the federal role in education.  

• The contemporary US Department of Education was established by a narrow margin of four votes in 1979. The agency’s existence and purpose remain a topic of debate, and it is currently a target for closure as part of the President-elect’s policy agenda.
• The federal government provides just 8 percent of funding for K-12 education in the states. K-12 education in the United States remains under local control, primarily funded and directed by state and local governments.
• A recent proposal, introduced in the Senate last month, would close the Department by transferring most programs to other agencies and replacing the primary federal funding vehicle and other initiatives with block grants to states for K-12 education and higher education.