Students in New Jersey with disabilities stand to be hurt by cuts to the federal Department of Education. Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education here.
“Students with disabilities rely a lot on the federal department not just on funding but also on oversight specifically,” she said, “so in school districts like Newark that serve a high number of students with disabilities, if funding were cut, if oversight were moved to a different department, how would (local) departments handle that? That’s really the biggest fear. The law will be the law always but there are people that make sure that the law is implemented and that parents know their rights.”
Gomez said some students have considerable needs. “How would funding be distributed to a school district like Newark to provide services for therapists, to provide transportation services for students who may be going to school in an ambulance, require oxygen tanks or even in-school aides?” she said.
Of the 40,000 students in Newark Public Schools, 7000 have disabilities, and families have reported delays in getting services, class assignments, and classroom aides.
Advocates for the disabled say before the federal department existed, children with disabilities were often shut out of public schools altogether.
In New Jersey, almost a quarter of a million students get special education support under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.