Federal Layoffs Threaten Special Education and Arizona’s Future
The U.S. Department of Education laid off nearly all staff of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)—a move that could devastate support for Arizona students with disabilities and their families. Without these staff, the federal government’s ability to enforce special education laws, process funding, and provide support will be severely weakened.
Reports indicate that only senior leadership remains, meaning oversight, technical assistance, enforcement, and grant administration under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the pivotal law that ensures eligible children with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education, will be impaired.
Sweeping Federal Layoffs Threaten Key Education Supports
This move is potentially catastrophic for students and families. How?
- Delayed federal reimbursements can strain school district budgets, which are already stretched to serve students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), especially in rural or underfunded districts.
- Investigations into violations of disability rights may be delayed or dropped, leaving families without recourse.
- The loss of capacity to support state and local special education offices means that Arizona must shoulder a heavier burden of technical support with fewer partners.
Other Critical Student Support Programs Also at Risk
While the headline is special education program staff it’s not just those programs that are threatened. Programs that expand opportunity for students from low-income backgrounds and first-generation students are also losing staff, including:
- The 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which fund after-school and summer programs for low-income students, help families remain in the workforce knowing their kids are in a safe, educationally enriching environment.
- TRiO programs, which provide mentoring, tutoring, college counseling, and financial literacy for first-generation and low-income students. They help them persist and graduate by offering wraparound support that allows them to enter high-skill, high-wage, high-demand (H3) jobs of the future.
With cuts of this magnitude at the U.S. Department of Education, Arizona risks widening the attainment gap for our state’s students. In addition, declines in graduation rates for students with disabilities and fewer first-generation and low-income students reaching college will have lasting consequences.
Losing these programs doesn’t just harm individual students — it undercuts the talent pipeline Arizona needs for high-wage jobs and long-term economic growth. Weaker protections when schools fail to provide legally required services will further harm students and their families.
Now is the Time to Act
All Arizona students deserve the opportunity to succeed in school and pursue education and training after high school. This is critical to Arizona’s economy, future workforce, and statewide prosperity.
We urge Arizonans to contact their federal representatives today and urge them to restore full staffing at the U.S. Department of Education and protect critical programs like IDEA, TRiO, 21st Century Learning Centers, and and other programs that promote opportunities for our most vulnerable students.