06/19/2026
The Trump administration announced plans on Tuesday to move two of the U.S. Department of Education’s biggest responsibilities to other federal agencies: special education programs and civil rights enforcement in schools.
Programs for students with disabilities would be shifted toward the Department of Health and Human Services, while the Office for Civil Rights , which handles discrimination protections in K-12 schools and universities, would be moved toward the Department of Justice. This is part of a broader effort to weaken and dismantle the Department of Education.
In Alachua County, this matters for families whose children rely on special education services, IEPs, disability accommodations, and federal protections under IDEA. A weakened or fragmented federal oversight system could make it harder for families to know where to turn when those rights are not being met.
This also matters for higher education. The University of Florida’s Disability Resource Center works with more than 7,500 students with disabilities, and federal civil rights protections also apply to colleges and universities. When civil rights enforcement is moved away from an education-focused agency, students may face a more confusing and legalistic process when seeking help.
Public education works best when every student is protected, supported, and given a fair chance to succeed. We will continue to oppose efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and weaken protections for students in Alachua County and across the country.
Read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/us/politics/education-department-civil-rights-trump.html
