U.S. Ed Dept furloughs hit OCR, special ed
The U.S. Department of Education has furloughed staff in the Office for Civil Rights and the Office of Special Education Programs due to the ongoing federal shutdown, slowing civil-rights enforcement and special education oversight nationwide. Twin Cities districts and families could see delays in OCR complaint investigations, compliance reviews, and federal grant administration affecting services and reimbursements.
Education
Government/Regulatory
đ Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Department of Education; affected offices include OCR and OSEP
- Impact: enforcement, compliance reviews, and grant/oversight work slowed or paused
- Timing: reported Oct. 13, 2025; effects apply to Minnesota and Twin Cities school systems
đ Contextual Background
- Minnesota is home to roughly 20,000 federal employees, or about 35,000 if military personnel are included.
- The 35-day U.S. federal government shutdown in 2018â2019 reduced Minnesota's economic production by a small fraction of a percent, with most of that loss recovered after the shutdown ended.