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Department of Education
Most recent quarterly backlog
5,155
End of FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026)
Latest annual report
3,603
End of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
17-year change
+947%
FY2008 → FY2024 (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2024)
Annual backlog, FY2008–FY2024
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2024). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
FY08: 344
FY10: 456
FY12: 359
FY14: 391
FY16: 508
FY18: 1,031
FY20: 961
FY22: 1,729
FY24: 3,603
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 22 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026).
Backlog
5,155
Received per quarter
722
Processed per quarter
884
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
Days pending counts forward from the day the request was received. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2017-11-30 | 1,713 | 4.7 |
| #2 | 2017-12-06 | 1,709 | 4.7 |
| #3 | 2017-12-11 | 1,706 | 4.7 |
| #4 | 2017-12-14 | 1,703 | 4.7 |
| #5 | 2017-12-21 | 1,698 | 4.7 |
| #6 | 2018-01-23 | 1,678 | 4.6 |
| #7 | 2018-01-29 | 1,674 | 4.6 |
| #8 | 2018-03-23 | 1,636 | 4.5 |
| #9 | 2018-03-28 | 1,633 | 4.5 |
| #10 | 2018-04-17 | 1,619 | 4.4 |
Exemption invocations, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
How often each FOIA exemption (b1–b9) was invoked when redacting or denying records. Exemption 5 (deliberative process, attorney-client) is highlighted — it’s the most-fought exemption in FOIA litigation.
FOIA staffing, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
Full-time employees
38
Equivalent FTE
71.6
Total FTE
109.6
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 4,560 | 3,119 | 3,603 |
| FY2023 | 2,816 | 2,385 | 2,161 |
| FY2022 | 2,372 | 1,462 | 1,729 |
| FY2021 | 2,151 | 2,292 | 820 |
| FY2020 | 2,384 | 2,537 | 961 |
| FY2019 | 2,448 | 2,368 | 1,114 |
| FY2018 | 3,041 | 2,858 | 1,031 |
| FY2017 | 2,915 | 2,574 | 848 |
| FY2016 | 2,445 | 2,307 | 508 |
| FY2015 | 2,297 | 2,315 | 370 |
| FY2014 | 2,234 | 2,147 | 391 |
| FY2013 | 2,415 | 2,421 | 343 |
| FY2012 | 2,246 | 2,346 | 359 |
| FY2011 | 2,401 | 2,486 | 371 |
| FY2010 | 2,114 | 2,077 | 456 |
| FY2009 | 2,307 | 2,232 | 419 |
| FY2008 | 1,921 | 2,236 | 344 |
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