On May 14, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) closed the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), over a year after gutting its staff to just one. The office reportedly had around 15 employees.
In doing so, the agency is compromising school districts’ ability to provide instruction to English learners, according to public education advocates who oppose the move. The Trump administration, however, defends the action as one that will cut red tape and ultimately provide more focus on the topic.
The OELA was the only arm of the federal agency dedicated to ensuring that English learners and immigrant students gained English proficiency and academic success, that schools preserved students’ heritage languages and cultures, and that all students had the chance to develop biliteracy or multiliteracy skills.
Congress appropriated $890 million in Title III funding in fiscal year 2026 for the office to support over 5 million English language learners in U.S. schools, including through professional development grants and other resources to help educators support these students. While the funding will remain, its administrative responsibilities will be to the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) which, as per an interagency agreement, places many OESE functions within the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The USDE did not provide information on whether DOL will also administer Title III or English learner supports going forward.
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