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Former U.S. Department of Education employees and state education leaders warned Wednesday that cuts to the federal agency will likely cause disruptions to Colorado’s education system and student learning. The cuts already are impacting students with disabilities.
The group testified for an hour during a special Colorado Senate Education Committee hearing called by Chair Sen. Chris Kolker, a Centennial Democrat, to discuss the U.S. Education Department’s role in Colorado.
Disability Law Colorado Co-Legal Director Emily Harvey said students with disabilities have suffered due to staffing cuts in the department’s Office for Civil Rights. The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, laid off about half the agency’s workforce, including within the civil rights office.
Harvey said the Denver office had its staffing cut by a third and other offices were eliminated. There are now just 24 employees to oversee over 2,800 active investigations, including cases that can include discrimination against students with disabilities, she said.
“For many students with disabilities and their families, that means bullying, discrimination and other school rights violations may continue without remedy or recourse,” she said. “It’s not just troubling. It’s unacceptable.”
Nationwide, parents have said they’ve started to see investigations stall. Harvey said the department promises weekly updates on investigations, but hasn’t updated its website in three months.
However, the office has announced new investigations, including into Denver Public Schools’ all-gender restroom.
She called on lawmakers to create a Colorado set of civil rights laws to protect students.
“Colorado can’t count on the federal government to protect children with disabilities,” she said.
Other panel members said there aren’t widespread impacts to education in Colorado yet.
But former Education Department analyst Sarah Newman, who was laid off by the administration, worries they might start to pop up soon. She urged Colorado lawmakers to question the administration’s plans and how the state expects the Education Department’s actions to affect students.
Newman said many of those Education Department workers collected and sorted through data that states and the federal government used to monitor student outcomes and whether programs work, she said. The data also drives decisions that can help states intervene when students are struggling.
“They have demonstrated that their approach shows no regard for minimizing the disruption of services,” Newman said.
Newman added that she has serious concerns that the federal government will have to delay doling out state funding due to staffing levels.
President Donald Trump has also ordered the closure of the U.S. Department of Education, which would require approval from Congress. If that happens, the federal government would likely shift which agencies send out money to states.
Colorado receives about $800 million in federal education funding, according to a Colorado Department of Education presentation.
States receive funds for student services, including various funds that support students in high-poverty schools, migrant education, special education services, and other programs.
Colorado Commissioner of Education Susana Córdova said she’s hopeful the federal government will continue funding for students who need it the most, including students from low-income backgrounds or who need special education.
“We’ve heard from the Secretary of Education (Linda McMahon) that there is a commitment to continue funding,” she said. “We’re very hopeful that that would be the case.”
The administration hasn’t signaled its future funding plans, but it has said that states that don’t comply with its orders on diversity, equity, and inclusion risk losing funding. Córdova said the state complies with federal law.
Committee chair Kolker said he is willing to support legislation next year that would create a set of Colorado civil rights. And while there’s plenty of uncertainty about what’s happening with the Education Department, he said the state is in a good place for now.
But he added that lawmakers need to continue to pay attention and anticipate problems that might pop up due to federal cuts.
Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.
