Trump's influence on special education: Essential information for parents and schools
The Trump administration's proposed changes to the Department of Education could significantly impact services for students with disabilities. The administration wants to move special education programs, particularly those under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Key Impacts
Dismantling of the Department of Education
An executive order to start closing down the Department of Education was signed in March 2025. While the department will continue to exist in a reduced capacity and still enforce civil rights laws for now, key programs for students with disabilities are being moved to HHS.
Shift of Special Education Oversight
The administration plans to transfer IDEA program management from Education to HHS. Since IDEA is fundamentally an education and civil rights statute, critics argue this move risks inconsistent implementation across states and weakening of enforcement since HHS is not primarily an education agency.
Funding Risks
Although IDEA’s formula funding to states remains unchanged, the administration is reviewing and likely terminating hundreds of competitive grants (Part D of IDEA) that fund research, parent supports, training, and technology for special education. This threatens valuable ancillary services beyond direct educational support.
Staffing Reductions
The Education Department is reducing nearly half of its workforce, including those in the Office of Special Education Programs, which administers IDEA and supports schools in delivering services.
Concerns from Advocacy Groups
Organizations such as the National Down Syndrome Congress have warned that moving special education oversight out of the Education Department would reduce strong federal protections and risk leaving children with disabilities vulnerable to disparities.
Legislative Pushback
Bipartisan efforts are underway in Congress to restore department staffing and block the transfer of special education programs to HHS, emphasizing IDEA’s role as a civil rights law implemented best within an education-focused agency.
In sum, these proposed changes risk weakening federal oversight, reducing specialized support and protections, disrupting funding streams for research and training, and creating inconsistencies in service quality for students with disabilities across states. The National Center for Youth Law and COPAA filed a lawsuit in March on behalf of two parents who have pending civil rights claims, asking for a judge to order the agency to continue conducting investigations. The lawsuit filed by unions and Massachusetts schools argues that the entire staff that provides policy and legal guidance to states and other grantees about how to implement IDEA was terminated. The Trump administration’s actions threaten to return education to an "era where federal government was nearly absent and the states were left to their own devices to do whatever they want for these vulnerable student populations."
- The administration's proposed shift of special education programs, particularly those under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has raised concerns among advocacy groups.
- The reduction of nearly half of the Education Department's workforce, including those in the Office of Special Education Programs, which administers IDEA and supports schools in delivering services, may lead to a reduction in specialized support and protections for students with disabilities.
- The review and likely termination of hundreds of competitive grants (Part D of IDEA) that fund research, parent supports, training, and technology for special education threatens valuable ancillary services beyond direct educational support.
- The Trump administration's proposed changes to the Department of Education, including the transfer of special education programs to HHS, may risk weakening federal oversight, disrupting funding streams for research and training, and creating inconsistencies in service quality for students with disabilities across states, possibly leading to a return to an era where federal government involvement was minimal.
