The Department of Education said Wednesday that it has initiated an investigation into whether the D.C. Public Schools system is meeting the needs of students with special needs and disabilities.
In a release, newly appointed Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the department advised D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee of the investigation to ensure the school system is “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’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will be heading the investigation.
“DC Public Schools (DCPS) is committed to providing high-quality education and support to all students, including those receiving special education services. 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,” the school system said in a statement to WTOP.
The school system has faced a slew of complaints and suits filed in regards to special needs students.
In 2023, DCPS settled a 2021 lawsuit filed by incarcerated high school students with disabilities who claimed they were denied an education while incarcerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the pandemic hit, D.C. Public Schools stopped providing in-person education to students in the city jail. Instead, students received work packets, which they were expected to complete, without instruction or a teacher’s help.
Another suit from 2024 claimed buses that pick up students with disabilities in D.C. are sometimes late or never show up at all, don’t provide accommodations and can’t be reliably tracked. It argued the city’s Office of the State Superintendent for Education failed to provide students with disabilities safe and reliable transportation to and from school.
The Education Department referenced a December 2024 report from the District of Columbia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that found the school system “historically received significantly more complaints per 10,000 students in the special education area … than any other state or territory in the United States,” followed only by the state of New York.
“OCR will investigate whether DCPS is discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities or special needs in programs and activities that receive federal financial aid,” the release said.
In its statement, DCPS said it will cooperate with the investigation.
“We stand by our ongoing efforts to ensure that all students have access to the resources they need to thrive. For students eligible to receive transportation services from the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), DCPS will continue to partner with OSSE as their Department of Transportation works to meet the related services requirements in accordance with the law.”
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