• Mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education have significantly cut staff in special education.
• The cuts could jeopardize the administration of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Critics emphasize the absurdity of running vital programs with insufficient staff.
• Concerns grow over the long-term impact on support services for children with disabilities.
• Legal questions arise regarding the legality of these cuts under federal disability law.

Following a series of mass layoffs during a government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Education has seen a significant reduction in staff managing special education programs. Sources within the agency indicated that key offices are now drastically under-resourced, raising alarms about the immediate repercussions for children with disabilities reliant on these services. According to multiple reports, the layoffs specifically impacted the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), which oversees approximately $15 billion in funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) aimed at protecting the educational rights of approximately 7.5 million children with disabilities, according to ABC News, India Times, and NPR.

The reduction-in-force (RIF) predominantly targeted offices within OSERS, which has become critical in administering IDEA, leading a department leader to describe the situation as "absurd." Concerns have been articulated that without sufficient personnel, the department will struggle to monitor compliance with IDEA and provide necessary funds to states. One education leader asserted, "If this RIF notice is carried out, the Department of Education can no longer administer IDEA," highlighting the severe risk to education funding for families of children with disabilities, as expressed by sources in ABC News and India Times.

The layoffs, impacting over 466 employees within the agency's special education bureau, signal a troubling trend that has been exacerbated following earlier reductions. These staff members were crucial in overseeing funds, reviewing compliance from states, and offering advocacy and guidance to families, critical functions that now lack adequate support. According to Rachel Gittleman, president of the AFGE Local 252, "The harm these cuts will cause for the 7.5 million students with disabilities across the country is only beginning," as noted in reports from ABC News, India Times, and NPR.

Legal experts have raised significant questions about the legality of such drastic cuts in compliance with federal mandates requiring an operational Office of Special Education Programs. Sources have indicated that effectively closing the office by terminating its staff necessitates an act of Congress, essentially putting the federal government at odds with federal disability law, according to information from ABC News, India Times, and NPR.