On a monthly basis the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) receives on average nearly 300 requests for data under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). However, under the Trump administration the USDE has only responded to about 3% of those requests. and staffing issues have been a major hurdle. For example, according to The 74, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) had eight employees working on requests in January 2025. After staff cuts, none remained.
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