Key Points:
- Roughly 466 employees in the U.S. Department of Education was cut during reduction-in-force actions, devastating the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
- Reports indicate that only two top staffers remain at OSEP, and just a single employee remains in the Rehabilitation Services Division.
- Special education advocates warn that this dismantling threatens compliance with IDEA and the delivery of services to millions of children with disabilities.
Mass Layoffs Decimate OSEP’s Capacity
On October 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education delivered sweeping reduction-in-force (RIF) notices affecting at least 466 employees, including a near-total purge of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). While the Department acknowledged that the layoffs impacted its staff, it provided few details on which offices or programs would be hit hardest.
Previously, OSEP had mostly escaped major staffing cuts even as roughly half of the Education Department’s 4,133 staff departed via retirements, buyouts, or prior layoffs. But this latest wave appears to have obliterated much of its structure.
According to the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE), only two senior-level employees remain in OSEP, and only one in the Rehabilitation Services Administration. The announcement has left states, districts, and advocates reeling over how the federal government can oversee and support special education under such constraints.
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Threats to IDEA Oversight and Service Delivery
Advocacy groups have sounded the alarm over the consequences of gutting federal oversight of special education. The Council for Exceptional Children described the layoffs as “absolutely devastating,” warning that the nation’s ability to enforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is now at risk.
Similarly, NASDSE expressed confusion and concern, stating that without staff to administer IDEA, federal funding may lapse and students with disabilities could be deprived of legally guaranteed services.
Inside the Department, some insiders questioned how the agency can manage its responsibilities with so few personnel. “If there’s no staff, who the heck is going to administer this program?” one department leader reportedly asked.
With an estimated $15 billion in annual grants and oversight duties, OSEP and its sister unit Rehabilitative Services are critical to supporting state and local special education systems.
As IDEA turns 50 this year, the timing of this dismantling raises profound legal and ethical questions. Without leadership, technical assistance, monitoring, and accountability efforts, states and school districts must shoulder greater burdens—often without clear guidance or recourse.