U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon approved Louisiana’s request to combine state-level portions of four federal K-12 grant programs into a single flexible fund through 2029. Louisiana will keep district-level funding intact while gaining discretion over how the state portion—more than $18 million total—supports teacher training, services for English learners, student support, and extended learning. The move signals a broader Trump administration strategy to shift K-12 decisionmaking authority toward states and localities, aligning with other proposed or planned actions such as transferring management of key K-12 programs to the Labor Department and reducing Education Department capacity. Louisiana Superintendent Cade Brumley said the state will evaluate directing funds toward foundational K-3 literacy and math screeners, teacher science-of-reading training, and efforts to reduce vacancies. The department said Louisiana must show improvements in student achievement, emphasizing the “more flexibility, comes more responsibility” framing as states use waiver mechanisms to reshape federal program constraints.