The Education Department gave another agency power to distribute its money. It hasn't gone well.

A controversial push to dismantle key Education Department programs from the early days of the Trump administration is facing setbacks, raising questions about the broader overhaul of the agency. Officials had sought to streamline or eliminate certain initiatives as part of a sweeping restructuring effort, but recent missteps in implementation threaten to delay or weaken those plans. Critics argue the delays could undermine the administration’s broader goal of reshaping federal education policy, while supporters maintain the process remains on track despite early challenges. The outcome could have lasting implications for how federal education funding and oversight operate.

The stumbles of an early Trump administration experiment to carve up the Education Department risks undercutting the president’s more dramatic demolition plan for the agency. The Labor Department ...