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Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the offices that protect student civil rights and the educational rights of students with disabilities will be moved to two other federal agencies.
OLYMPIA—June 16, 2026—Today, the Trump Administration announced its plan to move the offices responsible for overseeing the education and civil rights of students with disabilities from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the office responsible for protecting students from discrimination to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
This announcement furthers the Trump Administration’s commitment to eliminating the Department of Education. (Last November, ED announced that they were moving several other education programs to six federal agencies.)
Because Congress has not authorized the elimination of the agency, the Trump Administration is bypassing the authority of the 535 elected members of Congress and utilizing interagency agreements to transfer key aspects of ED’s work to agencies with minimal or no role in K–12 education.
While there is still a lot to learn, these interagency agreements will add confusion and duplicative processes that students, families, and school districts will be forced to overcome when they need support.
“The change announced today will put the civil rights of the nearly 50 million students being served in public schools across the country at greater risk given how much bureaucracy the federal government is adding,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal.
“Despite a longstanding commitment by the federal government to provide 40% of the funding to support students with disabilities, less than 10% of Washington’s special education funding comes from federal sources,” Reykdal continued. “With inadequate federal funding, families and states will now also have to navigate several more federal agencies to get the services they are legally entitled to. This is not more efficient and it’s not returning education to the states.”
Protections for Students with Disabilities
For 50 years, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has ensured that more students with disabilities are educated in their neighborhood schools, accessing the same curriculum as their peers with the supports they need to thrive. The progress our state and nation has made has been grounded in the understanding that accommodating disabilities is not something separate from education; it is part of the work of education.
While this transition is not expected to disrupt special education services, supports, or IDEA funding at this time, moving the work to HHS further isolates students with disabilities from the instructional systems that are essential to their learning. Students with disabilities learn, grow, and participate in school alongside their peers, and they are best served when special education remains fully connected to the programs that shape the school experience for all students.
Washington state will continue to uphold its strong state-level protections for students with disabilities, including inclusive learning environments, individualized supports, and access to the general curriculum. Our state will also continue collaborating with national partners, advocacy organizations, and other state education agencies to maintain stability and protect students’ rights during this period of federal uncertainty.
“While many details remain unclear and significant questions remain about how this will be implemented, Washington will continue advocating for policies that strengthen educational opportunity, inclusion, and positive outcomes for students with disabilities,” Reykdal said. “We are proud of the progress we have made, and we aren’t backing down.”
Antidiscrimination and Student Civil Rights Protections
For nearly 60 years, the federal government has enforced federal civil rights and antidiscrimination laws within K–12 education. Within ED, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), now transferring to the DOJ, investigates and resolves complaints of discrimination.
In 2025, OCR resolved 30% fewer complaints of discrimination in education compared to 2024, representing the sharpest year-to-year decrease in more than 30 years.
“One of the primary responsibilities of the Department of Education is to protect the civil rights of students attending our nation’s schools,” Reykdal said. “Even before the transfer of OCR to the Justice Department, we have witnessed this administration putting their political ideology over their responsibility to protect student civil rights.”
As allowed by federal law, Washington’s antidiscrimination laws go above and beyond the minimum requirements of federal protections. Under Washington law, school districts are required to investigate and respond to complaints alleging discrimination. After filing a complaint with the school district and appealing to the school board, a family can bring their complaint to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for further action.
“Educators across our state work hard every day to create safe learning environments for our diverse student populations,” Reykdal continued. “With or without a federal partner that takes this work seriously, my office remains committed to ensuring school districts eliminate discrimination in their programs and activities.”