DHHS Will Take Over “Special Needs” Programs From U.S. Department Of Education

By Gordon HopkinsLast week, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Some of those functions of that department will now be transferred to other federal agencies. The president has indicated it is his intention to transfer programs for students with disabilities and nutrition programs to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).DHHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the agency “is fully prepared to take on the responsibility of supporting individuals with special needs.” Student loans will be handled by the Small Business Administration. Local ReactionIt is not yet known how these charges will impact local schools. Randy Schlueter, Superintendent of Tri County Public Schools, said, “Hopefully the transition from one Department to another Department is clearly planned and smooth. If not, students might be adversely affected because of the loss of funding during the transition. It is a ‘wait and see’ situation for schools.” Dr. Devin Embray, Superintendent of Fairbury Public Schools, noted, “First off, any major change like dissolving the Department of Education would require congressional approval, so I don’t think there’s a need to panic just yet. I am unsure of the capacity of DHHS to take this oversight on. It would be wise for us to remain calm and pragmatic so we understand fully what is going to happen. That said, this does bring attention to a bigger issue—the federal government’s long-standing failure to fully fund special education as it originally promised.”“When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed in 1975, the federal government pledged to cover up to 40 percent of the additional costs of special education. Right now, that number sits at just 13 percent. If this shift in oversight leads to better funding and support for students with special needs, that would be a positive step. But any change like this also brings uncertainty, and we need to make sure it actually benefits schools and families rather than creating more challenges,” wrote Embray in an email to FJN. “Right now, state and local budgets already carry much of the weight for special education. While eliminating waste in federal spending is important, pushing more costs onto local taxpayers isn’t the answer either. We’ll be keeping a close eye on how this unfolds and will continue advocating for the resources our students need.” The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) is not commenting on the proposed changes at this time. David Jespersen of the NDE Office of Public Information and Communications, told FJN, “As of right now we don’t have anything we can say about the federal department of education. We are monitoring for guidance.”

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