The Trump administration has opened a Department of Education investigation into D.C. Public Schools over allegations of widespread discrimination against special needs students.
The federal agency said its Office for Civil Rights sent a letter to DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee “initiating a directed investigation to evaluate if the district is failing to meet the needs of students with special needs or disabilities.”
“The Department of Education has a solemn responsibility to protect all students from discrimination, especially our most vulnerable,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. “We will ensure schools are fulfilling their commitment to provide all students with equal access to educational opportunities and not placing unnecessary burdens on families to fight for special education services for their children to which they are entitled under law.”
The department, which President Trump is trying to shutter, cited a December 2024 report from the District of Columbia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that noted DCPS had received 245 special education complaints per 10,000 students, more than any state or territory in the nation.
That report called for “serious attention” to investigate why parents have filed multiple lawsuits against DCPS in recent years over its failures to bus special education children to school and provide legally mandated classroom accommodations.
The Office of Civil Rights pledged to “investigate whether DCPS is discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities or special needs in programs and activities that receive federal financial aid,” a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act that could result in the school district losing federal money.
In a statement shared with The Washington Times, DCPS pledged to “fully cooperate” with the investigation.
“We have made significant investments to strengthen our special education programs, expand inclusive learning opportunities, and engage families as partners in their children’s success,” DCPS said.
“We stand by our ongoing efforts to ensure that all students have access to the resources they need to thrive.”
Despite spending more per student than most school districts in the nation, DCPS has faced years of reports that it ignores special education complaints until lawsuits forced them to settle out of court.
In 2019, the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor reported that DCPS campuses were not providing the number of local school staff required by law for at-risk students due to funds being diverted to other purposes.
“It has been an ongoing issue in that D.C. families have gone to court to get what they believe are appropriate and federally-mandated services for their children who may have disabilities,” D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson, a former Democratic member of the city council, said Thursday.
D.C. Council member Christina Henderson, an at-large independent and former DCPS employee, said the Education Department investigation responds to the longstanding “frustration of families, educators, and advocates who have faced difficulties.”
She said more funding is needed to address their concerns.
“No family should need a lawyer to ensure that their student receives an appropriate, high-quality education experience,” Ms. Henderson said in an email. “I know that DCPS and the Office of State Superintendent of Education have been working to remedy some of the system issues with regard to special education and I will continue to push them for swift improvements.”
DCPS enrolled 90,608 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 in 2023-24, a jump of 2,080 or 2% from the previous year.
On Tuesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser said the District would hike education spending by 2.74% to $15,070 per student as enrollment surges to an expected 101,000 students next year.
According to the nonpartisan D.C. Policy Center, 17% of students in DCPS and public charter schools have learning disabilities ranging from autism to developmental delays.
In an annual report published Tuesday, the center found that just 6% of students with disabilities met or exceeded math expectations in 2023-24, down from 7% in 2018-19.
Another 9% met or exceeded English language arts expectations last year, slightly up from 8% before the pandemic.
By comparison, 34% of DCPS students in 2023-24 fulfilled English expectations and 23% met the district’s math expectations.
As of last October, the report said local education agencies had spent $506.5 million out of the $540.5 million the District received in pandemic relief funds, including $333.3 million dedicated to “accelerating learning.”
Marlon Ray, a former DCPS director of strategy and logistics who has criticized the mayor’s education policy, said DCPS has kept placing untrained teachers in charge of special needs students as its budget grows.
“Thank goodness they’re investigating because the rabbit hole runs deep,” said Mr. Ray, who lost his job in a 2021 downsizing and sued the city for wrongful termination. “They’re not complying with the law and are always covering things up.”
