The Trump administration plans to dismantle the Department of Education soon. The DOE oversees protecting students’ civil rights, Title I funds for low-income students, special programs for students with disabilities, student loans, and more. The White House will need Congress’s support to abolish the DOE, but it can and likely will strip the department of many of its responsibilities through executive orders.
Right now, school districts in the U.S. receive federal funding to support students with disabilities. According to the National Education Association, 95% of students with disabilities attend public school in the U.S. More than one million young children with disabilities receive services through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Without the DOE, students with disabilities could lose critical federal funding, resources, and protections.
Project 2025, the playbook written by former Trump officials, suggests turning most federal funding for students with disabilities into grants school districts can apply to through the Department of Health and Human Services. Whether or not this happens remains to be seen.
Without the DOE, students with disabilities could also lose key civil rights protections. The Department of Education works to ensure students’ civil rights are protected under IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Guaranteeing a child receives the educational support and services they require could soon become more difficult without the Department of Education. The attorneys at Kennedy Hunt P.C. are experts in disability and education law. If your education rights have been violated, we can help you. Please fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim.