By Janae' Hancock
Published: Mar. 26, 2025 at 4:43 PM CDT
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education Thursday has many worried about what could happen next.
For Stephanie Sumulong, her concerns revolve around her son, Owen, and whether or not he will be protected.
“He is a human being just like you and [me].” She went on, “He deserves access to all the things that he would like to try and do.”
Owen, who has Down syndrome, joins nearly 7.5 million children who are protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The law keeps students from being turned away from public schools. It also requires schools to provide them with the necessary tools to be successful academically.
When asked about Trump’s effort to dismantle the department, Stephanie said, “When it comes down to it, it’s cruel.”
Special Education needs
For parents of kids with disabilities, advocating for their child can be difficult. For Stephanie, it’s a task she’s willing to take on to keep Owen smiling.
“I’m going to fight for whatever I need to fight for,” she said.
Owen is non-verbal, so Stephanie says she has to be his voice.
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“He has what is called speech apraxia where it makes it difficult for his face and mouth to form the sounds that you need to make words,” Stephanie explained.
For the most part, he uses sign language to communicate. But Owen also has an iPad that allows him to hold a conversation.
But if there’s one thing that remains consistent in Owen’s life, it’s his daily routine.
“A few of the things that are available to him, at his school, include therapists and some of those are funded through different federal initiatives,” she said. “Owen’s class also goes on community-based intervention trips (CBI) to allow them to go to different places.”
That is due in part to the more-than $15 billion the Department of Education provides.
Missouri public schools received more than $12 million in years past.
On the other side of the state line, Kansas received more than $20 million.
“If those funds dry up because of this, those kids get to just sit at home,” Stephanie said.
President Trump said funding resources for children with disabilities and special needs will be preserved, along with Pell Grants and Title I.
The president did not specify exactly how the programs would be transferred to other agencies. However, advocates believe special education will not receive the same care and attention.
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“There are lots of great opportunities here for our kids and we want to see those opportunities continue,” Stephanie said. “We can only get those opportunities to continue if you agree that they deserve those opportunities.”
‘Very uncertain and concerning time’
Dismantling the department is part of President Trump’s campaign promise to reduce the size of the federal government and return power back to the states.
Nearly half of the department was cut in mid-March.
“I feel very badly but many of them don’t work at all. Many of them never showed up to work,” the president said shortly after the layoffs.
KCTV5 sat down with one employee who described this as a “very uncertain and concerning time.”
They asked not to be named as the future of their employment remains unclear.
“It’s probably the most anxiety I’ve ever had to deal with. It’s not even because of the job itself and the content of the work I’m doing. It’s because of external politics.”
They protect students against discrimination. If the department is dismantled, their voices could be silenced.
“It absolutely does feel like we are just less than,” they said. “We are not seen as important enough for consideration.”
When asked if they are looking elsewhere for jobs, they replied, “There are certain actions that may happen that could go against my values to the point where I might say this isn’t worth the personal stress. If we fight, then we fight. But we can’t be successful in this regard then it’s definitely a consideration to look at other fields.”
Congress will ultimately decide if the agency will dissolve. A date for Congress to vote has not yet been set.
How dismantling the Department of Education would impact Missouri
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