President Donald Trump said Friday morning that he’s moving federal programs related to the care of special needs students out of the Department of Education. The move comes after Trump announced his intent to shutter the Department of Ed, a move some parents of special needs students in Virginia are dreading.
“Bobby Kennedy at Health and Human Services will be handling special needs.” President Donald Trump said Friday morning announcing more changes in the wake of his order to close the federal Department of Education.
But the parents of kids with disabilities fear the department, once tasked with ensuring equal access for such students, won’t be there when they need them.
“He treats the disabled like the invisible, a class that’s not politically important enough to care about,” Trevor Chaplick, A Fairfax County parent of a special needs student told Radio IQ about his view of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s handling of Virginia’s existing support for students with disabilities.
Chaplick sought but was denied an Individualized Education Program, or IEP, for his child over three years ago. He sued Virginia’s Department of Education claiming the IEP review process is rigged against parents; the case is currently awaiting a decision on early, procedural issues from a Richmond-based federal appeals court.
Youngkin said Friday that civil rights fights like Chaplick’s will likely continue to be a priority under Trump and he’s increased funding for special needs students in Virginia’s budget.
“We have accountability and a whole new framework of seeing results in our schools,” the governor told reporters after a bill signing event at the capital.
But Chaplick hasn’t bought into the governor’s optimism, and he pointed to his legal fight as evidence.
“Who's going to step in and protect the rights of those who don’t have a champion?" Chaplick said. "I mean, look at us, we’ve been at this for three years and we’re still at the beginning stages of it.”
In a statement late Thursday, Youngkin said the state was ready for any shifts in authority the closure of the federal Department of Ed might bring, thanks in part to his $7 billion in new school funding.
Friday's bill signing at the capitol focused on efforts to remove certain food dyes from Virginia's public schools.
It's unclear how many of Virginia's schools use the dyes in question. One official at the event said such dyes weren't found in her district's food due to a farm-to-table program that ensure local food supplies are used in school meals. In a statement sent to Radio IQ Friday, a spokesperson for Richmond City Public School's Wellness department said they were not used in their district either.
"The National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs follow USDA guidance which already bans the dyes discussed in the bill," the statement read. "In addition, RPS does not have a la carte options available at our schools, meaning we do not provide items such as chips, soft drinks, etc., to our students through School Nutrition Services."
Radio IQ was unable to confirm a ban on dyes listed in the Virginia law were among USDA changes.
Youngkin said the ban aligned with new HHS head Bobby Kennedy's goals.
"I am pleased with Sec. Kennedy supports these initiatives to get these harmful dyes out of our food," he said. "It represents a non-partisan view that health food for our children should be a top priority."
The new law asks the Virginia Board of Education to amend its nutritional guidelines which would then advise changes to school districts. New guidelines go into effect July 1, 2027
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
