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

A controversial push to restructure the Education Department under the Trump administration has faced significant setbacks, raising questions about the feasibility of broader reforms. Early efforts to reorganize the agency’s oversight of student loans and grant programs have encountered resistance, potentially weakening the administration’s ambitions to dismantle key functions. Critics argue the missteps could leave vulnerable populations without critical protections, while supporters insist the changes are necessary for efficiency. The outcome may hinge on whether lawmakers and stakeholders can reconcile competing visions for federal education policy.

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 ...