GAO Reports U.S. Department of Education's RIFs in the Office for Civil Rights Cost Over $28 Million
Other | January 29, 2026
On January 29, 2026, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the estimated costs incurred by the Department of Education during their March 2025 reduction-in-force (RIF) and reorganization of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The GAO Report's key takeaways included a calculation that the Department of Education paid over 28 million dollars in salaries and benefits to OCR staff that were RIFed and placed on administrative leave between March 2025 and December 2025. GAO also determined that the Department of Education failed to comprehensively analyze the overall costs and savings associated with the OCR RIF as required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
