Special education services will be notably impacted after Friday’s mass layoffs within the Department of Education.
Special Education Programs and the Rehabilitative Services Administration, the two divisions that make up the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, experienced severe staffing cuts after thousands of government employees lost their jobs on Friday.
Part of the agency’s duty is to enforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act which facilitates free and appropriate education for children with disabilities. Its budget for those special services is around $15 billion.
One of the leaders of the department, speaking anonymously to ABC News, explained the impact the decision would have on children and their families.
“There is a risk that the money to educate their children will not be given to the state, and that their access to support and advocacy for their children with special needs will no longer continue because there is no staff available to administer IDEA,” they said.
The Department of Education had around 4,000 employees in January. After appeals that landed in front of the SCOTUS in July, the department was allowed to cut about 1,400 employees.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, whose ultimate goal is to turn education administration over to the states, has said that the agency will continue to fund and support programs that have been mandated by Congress.
However, Friday’s lay-off seems to belie that promise.
“She’s consistently said she’ll protect IDEA,” the department leader said. “Well, now, this is not protecting IDEA if they’re getting rid of the team,” adding, “What is she doing with IDEA? Who’s going to administer it?”
Donald Trump has mentioned plans for the Health and Human Services Department under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to handle the special needs and nutrition programs for students, but that change has not happened yet.
