Staff cuts: How US Department changes impact NC students and families

The U.S. Department of Education plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees as part of an effort to halve the organization's staff

It’s not clear which specific positions and units are cut, but the Education Department said all divisions will be affected.

“There's not a lot of information out there to explain where those cuts were made and what the impact is going to be,” said NC Public School Forum policy and research senior director Lauren Fox. “It just creates a lot of uncertainty and fear.”

New Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the layoffs reflect the “Department of Education's commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.”

North Carolina’s public universities received about $1.5 billion from the U.S. Department of Education for student financial aid in the 2023-24 school year.

K-12 Public Schools received about $1 billion this school year. That money is designed to help fill achievement gaps, encourage career exploration and support special education and students with disabilities.

Related: What happens in North Carolina if the U.S. Department of Education shuts down?

So, the news of more changes to the U.S. Department of Education concerns Susan Book. Her son has autism and is a student in the Wake County Public School System, so the federal shifts could impact his learning and overall experience at school.

“It's about access to general education classes for my family. My son absolutely benefits from having a team,” Book told WRAL News. “I am worried, quite frankly, about who is taking care of his civil rights at the federal level.

The Wake County Public School System, North Carolina's largest district, is already facing a budget shortfall. Last week, Chairman Chris Heagarty told WRAL News they’re preparing for federal funding cuts.

“We're just so uncertain about what the state and federal government might do,” he said in a March 7 interview. “It's like trying to have a plan A with your budget, but then also having a plan B in your pocket if things go sideways.”

Fox said states and local government would need to fill the funding gaps.

“A lot of times, what happens in Washington feels distant from what we're experiencing in our communities. But ... It could mean really significant cuts. It could mean loss of staff; It could mean loss of programs and services,” she said.

However, federal staff reductions don’t automatically mean school districts will lose money. Congress has to agree to discontinue those programs.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants states to control education. Some are calling for block grants to states, like Project 2025. That would give states more say in how they spend that money.

“There'd be less accountability and regulation to make sure that those funds are going to the students that have the greatest need, which is what a lot of these funds are for,” Fox said.

Kris Nordstrom with the North Carolina Justice Center said the layoffs prove a disregard for public schools from both state and federal governments.

“This latest attack by the Trump administration to do mass firings at the Department of Education is an attempt to undermine public schools, undermine their effectiveness, undermine supports for the students that need it the most,” he said.

Parent Becky Lew Hobbs supported the president’s recent action in a Wake County school board meeting.

“[The] 10th amendment of the constitution says anything not stated in the constitution is the power of the state. Education is a power granted to the state,” she said.