wcnc.com

Charlotte area families are voicing concerns about the future of kids with special needs and their access to a good education after the White House tried to lay off almost all the staffers at the Department of Education who manage those programs. A judge has temporarily blocked the firings during the shutdown, but many worry they’ll still happen, and the money used for the programs is not being managed during the shutdown either. Concerned parents point out that these are programs and a law that’s been in place for decades to protect students with special needs, and they’re now in jeopardy.

Kelsey Leyton has a very full life. The 20-year-old has always wanted to be a baker and is now studying to do just that at Rowan Cabarrus Community College. But not long ago, she was a student at Hickory Ridge High School, where she benefitted from what’s called IDEA — the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act — which guarantees students with special needs get a free education. “This is going to sound very dramatic, but parents are concerned we’re going back 50 years to before IDEA existed and students with disabilities got an education,” Terry Leyton, Kelsey’s mom, said.