U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon testified Tuesday before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee about the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget for the Department of Education (DoE). The White House budget proposal, which calls for about $67 billion in total funds, would reduce overall education funds by about 15% compared with the 2026 FY budget, a $12 billion reduction overall. The budget represents a continued shift in federal education priorities and a broad restructuring of how programs are funded and administered. Senators pressed her hard on the administration’s plan to reorganize and reshape federal funding and the DoE itself by shifting responsibilities from the department to other federal agencies and the states. For Texas public schools, this budget, should it be approved, will likely mean more discretion for the Texas Education Agency (TEA), fewer federal guardrails, and less federal funding support for districts and students. 

Special education 

One of the areas in which Texans may feel the biggest impact from this budget is federal special education services. The budget includes $16 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), but the proposal calls for consolidating funding into state level block grants, meaning more control would be given to states concerning how the funds are spent. Overall funding would not be reduced, but several IDEA-related programs would be folded into the primary grant being given to each state, as well as moving what little federal oversight would remain to other federal agencies outside the DoE.  

Sen. Patty Murray (D–Washington) was the most direct critic of the proposed changes to special education, questioning McMahon about whether moving special education programs to other federal agencies (such as Health and Human Services or Labor) would weaken services and accountability. Murray also voiced concerns that families would not receive consistent services or be able to file complaints due to the restructuring. McMahon pushed back, stating the goal was to continue giving families access to complaint systems and protections under law but adding that states would be better positioned to manage day-to-day special education decisions and that the federal department would improve efficiency and reduce duplication under the proposal. Prior to Texas’ being sued by DoE under its current oversight authority, TEA’s “day-to-day decisions” resulted in only about half of the students currently eligible for special education services being identified and served.  

Civil rights 

Another major concern in the FY 2027 proposal is reduced funding for the Office for Civil Rights, which would see an estimated 35% budget cut. The office is responsible for investigating discrimination complaints in K-12 schools and higher education, including issues related to disability, race, sex, and language access.  

For Texas schools, this could have real implications. A smaller federal civil rights office means fewer staff to investigate complaints and longer timelines for resolving cases. While states already play a major role in handing civil rights issues, the federal office often serves as an important backstop when local systems fail or when families seek additional accountability. With reduced capacity at the federal level, educators may see increased pressure on state agencies and school districts to manage and resolve these cases independently. This raises concerns about whether protections will be applied consistently across large and diverse districts in Texas. Senators Chris Murphy (D–Vermont) and Tammy Baldwin (D–Wisconsin) cited several cases in which the cases of students with disabilities had been delayed or dropped due to staffing reductions and questioned the secretary about the department’s ability to protect students if enforcement capacity were further reduced. McMahon responded that cuts were meant to streamline the department’s efficiency and that the department was working to hire more attorneys to process cases faster, adding that she was open to adjusting funding levels if needed.  

College and career readiness programs 

The budget also proposes eliminating major federal college access programs, including TRIO and Gear Up, which together total about $1.6 billion. These programs are especially important for supporting low-income, first-generation, and underserved students as they prepare for college. Sen. John Kennedy (R–Louisiana) was generally supportive of the plans, asking about shifting programs toward better workforce alignment and efficiency.  

For Texas high schools, especially those serving rural and impoverished communities, the loss of these programs could reduce advising support, tutoring, college application assistance, and financial aid guidance, including help with filling out the FAFSA, which is a graduation requirement in Texas. Districts that have relied on these federally funded services will likely have to decide whether to replace them with local or state resources.  

Shifting federal responsibilities 

Beyond individual program changes, the broader direction of the FY 2027 budget reflects a structural shift that moves oversight away from the federal government and toward state departments of education. This is a direction that both President Donald Trump and McMahon have clearly signaled was their goal from the beginning of Trump’s second term. Some programs would be transferred to other federal agencies (e.g. workforce initiatives would be shifted to the Department of Labor) while others would be eliminated entirely.  

Congress has until Sept. 30 to either pass a budget or—more likely in a contentious election year—pass a continuing resolution in order to temporarily fund the government and avoid a shutdown. The budget will almost certainly undergo heavy negotiation and amendment before a final product is voted on.