The Trump Administration has laid off nearly all staff in the federal offices that enforce special education and civil rights laws, including those overseeing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While schools are still legally required to follow students’ IEPs, the loss of federal oversight and accountability could weaken protections and funding for students with disabilities and other marginalized groups.
What has changed:
This weekend the Trump Administration fired almost the whole office that makes sure the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is followed. This federal law protects educational rights for students with disabilities.
There were also cuts at the Office for Civil Rights, the offices that oversee Title I funds for students living in poverty, Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBCUs), and afterschool programs.
There were 466 jobs cut, but we don’t yet know the exact number from each office but there is reporting that entire teams and offices have been eliminated.
2. What is still true:
All students have a right to a free and appropriate public education.
The President cannot dismantle a federal agency without the approval of Congress. The Department of Education is still legally responsible for protecting educational rights.
The promise of fully protecting the rights of students with disabilities and other marginalized students and their families has not been fulfilled. We need more funds and more support in order to make that promise a reality, not the destruction of oversight and accountability roles.
Will this affect students with disabilities right away?
If a student has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) your school is still required by law to follow it.
The cuts that will impact students with disabilities most are at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) and Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The main roles that these offices played:
Distribute money towards educating students with disabilities and ensure it is actually spent to support them.
Provide guidance, support and accountability for local and state education agencies to ensure they are protecting student and family rights.
These are not cuts to staff working in schools or providing services directly to students, however you may see changes at your school level in the short and long term.
In the short-term, some schools and districts may feel they can use IDEA funds on other things besides students with disabilities, since the people who would normally check on how the money is spent are no longer there. Schools and districts that accessed technical assistance from OSERs will no longer have that support.
Long-term, these cuts are part of a strategy to dismantle the Department of Education and the federal role in education. Without federal funds and accountability, many families will find themselves in schools and districts that are denying services with no consequences at all.
How much funding comes from federal dollars vs. local and state?
Most of the money that funds public schools comes from state and local governments. States provide the most, then local governments, and federal is the smallest percentage.
However, the Department of Education distributes federal dollars intended to support students in specific communities or circumstances, and ensure they are actually spent on those students.
The original plan for IDEA was that federal funds would cover 40% of the cost to educate students with disabilities. It has never been fully funded and now federal funds cover only about 12% of the cost to educate students with disabilities.
Project 2025 and the Trump Administration have both advocated for block grants for education, meaning that funds for students with disabilities, students in poverty, etc would go out to states and they wouldn’t be required to spend it on those students who need the most support.
What does this have to do with the government shutdown?
The federal government is currently in a shutdown, meaning many federal workers are either working but not getting paid, or not working at all. Those workers will go back to work as soon as the shutdown is over.
The 466 jobs cuts are different, these people will not come back and their positions will not be filled by someone else.
Just before making these cuts, President Trump stated in a Cabinet meeting and on a social media post that he planned to make cuts targeting agencies he believes are associated with the Democratic party (all federal agencies are non-partisan and children with disabilities come from families of all political beliefs).
More Info
Education Department layoffs hit offices that oversee special education and civil rights enforcement – link
Education Department layoffs threaten special ed system, advocates warn. From 504 plans to IEPs, there are many protections in place at the local level to ensure students with disabilities get the resources they need. But federal oversight is a key piece of that puzzle – link
RIFs rip through the federal Office of Special Education Programs. With OSEP reportedly decimated, one special education expert asks: How can IDEA “possibly function”? – link
