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 unexpected setbacks, raising questions about the feasibility of broader reforms. Initial efforts to reorganize federal education programs have encountered resistance and logistical hurdles, potentially weakening the momentum behind more sweeping changes. Critics argue the missteps could delay or derail plans to reshape the agency’s role in K-12 and higher education policy. Meanwhile, the Labor Department’s involvement adds another layer of complexity to the administration’s education overhaul strategy.

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 ...