How Department of Education layoffs may affect services for students with disabilities

By Kaylie Foster

As the government shutdown hit its 10^th day, the Trump Administration announced mass layoffs in the Department of Education. The action aligns with President Trump’s promise to move education policy to the states and nearly dissolves the office responsible for overseeing special education.

Over 460 employees were fired from the Department of Education on October 10. While specific numbers are not available, reports from employees inside the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) indicate that all but a few high-ranking employees and support staff were laid off [1].

OSERS is responsible for $15 billion in special education funding and ensures states provide needed services to America’s 7.5 million students with disabilities [1]. OSERS houses the Office of Special Education Programming (OSEP), which provides oversight on state compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and fields questions from parents regarding their children’s rights under the law [2].

Staff members were told they could continue working through December 9, although their work is already largely halted by the government shutdown. A judge ruled to temporarily freeze the layoffs on October 15, but it is unclear how long that pause will last and if the Trump Administration will argue the legality of the layoffs in front of the Supreme Court [2].

While the laws surrounding education for children with disabilities have not changed, the shortage of staff may lead to discrepancies in funding and interpretation of the law, as well as limit parents’ access to resources for their children.

What is IDEA?

Passed in 1975, IDEA protects students with disabilities from birth to age 21. Before IDEA’s passage, students with disabilities were often refused admission to schools, private and public, and were housed in facilities that did not foster learning and where their rights were not protected [1].

IDEA’s goal is to provide Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to all students with disabilities. The law has three parts: Part B ensures that all students with disabilities aged 3 to 21 are supported in schools; Part C provides services and funding for children from birth to 2; and Part D issues funding for grants that assist with state personnel development, technology, information and support services for parents, among other things [3].

IDEA provides funding to the states to help schools deliver FAPE to disabled students. Each student is guaranteed access to learning in the least restrictive environment possible that meets their needs. Schools provide adjustments and services to ensure students can learn in a public education environment [3].

IDEA introduced the Individualized Education Program (IEP). IEPs allow parents of students with disabilities and educators to create yearly academic and functional goals, measure students’ progress, and work together to decide the best services and programs to support the child’s needs. These can include psychological support, social work, student and parent counseling, and training. With IEPs, educators and parents have a written, shared plan to best aid students with disabilities in their developmental, functional, and academic success [3].

What does OSEP do?

OSEP provides oversight of the 50 states in their implementation of IDEA services. States submit annual plans to OSEP showing how they will use their share of IDEA funding, and OSEP makes sure these plans are compliant with IDEA [2].

Parents can contact OSEP representatives to ensure their child’s rights are being met in school. OSEP receives daily phone calls from parents with questions about their students’ needs and rights [2].

How will the layoffs affect student services?

While the IDEA law itself has not changed, parents and students may face challenges due to the lack of staff in OSEP.

Grants for schools and educator development are still to be paid for the duration of the government shutdown. However, with insufficient staff, states may not have their funding distributed in a timely manner, if at all. A lack of funding can force states to cut services that many students with disabilities rely on [2].

Inconsistencies between state disability education programming may grow, as there is now significantly less staff available to review statistics and provide guidance on IDEA policy. States may begin to interpret sections of the law differently, meaning disability education and rights may vary depending on what state the student lives in. Insufficient staffing in OSEP means there is no authority figure to intervene when schools do not correctly enforce IEP parameters or provide agreed upon services [2].

Parents with questions regarding their students’ rights and educational needs may face delays in response times from OSEP. Critical parent response staff have been laid off, making it difficult to connect with the agency and get answers. Some parents have already been met with bounced emails and unanswered phone calls [2].

Sources

[1] Turner, C. (2025, October 13). Amid shutdown, trump administration guts department overseeing special education. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/10/13/nx-s1-5572489/trump-special-education-department-funding-layoffs-disabilities

[2] Fabian, R. (2025, October 16). What the special education layoffs mean for your child’s IEP and School Services. Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-the-special-education-layoffs-mean-for-your-childs-iep-and-school

[3] National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2024, January). Individuals with disabilities education act: Learn the law. Learn the Law. https://ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/240502-Learn-the-Law-Individuals-with-Disabilities-Education-Act.pdf