U.S. Education Department cuts and seven regional-office closures weakened its school disability complaint system, advocates say. Between March and September 2025, OCR marked over 7,000 complaints resolved; GAO found about 90% of them were dismissed.
In March 2025, the department cut nearly half its almost 4,000-person workforce; GAO estimated 299 of OCR's 575 positions were cut. After litigation, some staff were reinstated. In November 2025, the department reported 446 OCR employees, including 384 who had initially received termination notices. OCR received more than 9,000 complaints between March and September. Seven of its 12 regional offices permanently closed: Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Families and advocates report missing acknowledgments and follow-ups. After the Dallas office closed, Disability Rights Texas said it stopped receiving receipt confirmations and told its lawyers not to spend time filing with OCR. In June, the Education Department announced that the Justice Department would take a larger role in civil-rights investigations; the effect on students is unclear. In 2025, only 21 states met federal special-education requirements; Texas did so for the first time in years after federal monitoring and a corrective plan.
