Department of Education: Full Costs and Savings Estimate Needed for Reduction-in-Force and Restructuring of the Office for Civil Rights

What GAO Found

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department of Education (Education) enforces several federal civil rights laws, including laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin; sex; disability; and age. Under most of these laws, OCR's enforcement authority extends to institutions that receive funds from Education, such as state educational agencies, elementary and secondary school systems, and colleges and universities.

In March 2025, about half of OCR's 575 staff were placed on paid administrative leave, and seven of OCR's 12 regional offices were closed as part of agencywide Reduction-in-Force (RIF) and reorganization efforts. Based on Education's court filings, GAO calculated that paying salaries and benefits to OCR staff who were subject to the RIF cost between $18 million and $24 million from mid-March through September 5, 2025. GAO calculated that it cost an additional $10.5 to $14 million for the staff remaining on administrative leave from September 8 through December 12, 2025.

In December 2025, Education recalled to work those OCR staff subject to the March 2025 RIF. Agency officials said that since the March 2025 RIF, OCR has kept up with its workload and met its mission without these staff. They noted that Education decided to recall these staff to contribute to the enforcement of existing civil rights complaints. These officials also said that there is always work to be done and the agency will continue utilizing available resources to do so. Subsequently, in early January 2026, Education rescinded the RIF actions for OCR staff.

From March to September 2025, OCR received over 9,000 complaints of alleged discrimination and resolved over 7,000. About 90 percent of these were resolved by Education dismissing the complaints.

Education did not demonstrate that it accounted for all potential costs and savings associated with its RIF and reorganization actions, and did not document its analyses, though Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance directed it to do so. Without fully accounting for costs and savings and documenting its analyses, Education lacks reasonable assurance that its actions achieved the stated goal of reforming its federal workforce to maximize efficiency and productivity, including whether such actions improved service to the American people, increased productivity, or saved taxpayer dollars. GAO recommends that Education estimate the full costs and savings associated with the Reduction-in-Force and reorganization actions it initiated in March 2025, and document its analysis. Education disagreed with the recommendation, stating that it had rescinded the RIFs for OCR staff and taken action to return those employees to active duty. GAO continues to believe that Education should conduct and document such an analysis, as discussed in the report.

Why GAO Did This Study

In response to an Executive Order, Education announced a RIF and reorganization in March 2025 that would cut OCR's workforce by about half. However, subsequent preliminary injunctions prohibited Education from doing so. According to Education, all RIF actions were paused as of November 21, 2025. Education rescinded the RIF actions for OCR staff in early January 2026.

GAO was asked to examine issues related to OCR's operations in light of recent RIF actions. This report provides information about OCR RIF actions, including associated costs and savings and OCR's workload in relation to these actions.

GAO reviewed relevant federal laws and OCR's Case Processing Manual. GAO assessed RIF actions against relevant federal guidance from OMB and OPM. In addition, GAO analyzed publicly available information from court filings that Education submitted in federal court, the President's fiscal year 2026 budget request for OCR, and data that Education provided to Congress.