Iowa Becomes First State to Receive Education Compliance Waiver

Returning education to states empowers state leaders, who know their students far better than Washington bureaucrats, the education secretary said.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks to reporters during a briefing at the White House on Nov. 20, 2025. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times

The Department of Education has approved Iowa’s “Returning Education to the States” waiver that allows education officials from the state to have more discretion in how they use federal funding for the benefit of residents, the department said in a statement on Jan. 7.

“Iowa’s waiver permits the state education agency to combine four federal funding streams into one. Iowa leaders seek to focus more federal resources on improving student achievement rather than federal compliance,” the Education Department stated.