ROCHESTER, N.Y. – President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to eliminate the Department of Education has raised concerns about its potential impacts. News10NBC’s Kristi Blake visited the Mary Cariola Center on Elmwood Avenue to explore the implications for students with disabilities.

For more than 75 years, the Mary Cariola Center has provided individualized education for students with disabilities, including autism, cognitive delays, and rare genetic syndromes. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides federal funding to support these efforts.

Superintendent Christine Sheffer expressed concerns about the future of funding like IDEA.

“There’s responsibility there for things such as child find locating young children in need of services, sometimes through their pediatricians, sometimes through other means, and making sure they all get an appropriate free evaluation,” Sheffer said. “Early learning helps students with disabilities succeed.”

Sheffer also worried that funds could be redirected from special education programs to non-special education programs. If this occurs, the center may need to rely on donations or outside grants.

News10NBC spoke with local educators within hours of the president signing the order. They’re worried it could negatively affect all students.

Adam Urbanski, president of the Rochester Teachers Association, warned, “I think it’s going to diminish the quality of education, and it’s going to particularly hit hardest at the most vulnerable children. And that’s the sad part about this whole thing.”

Thursday’s executive order marks the beginning of a plan to dismantle the Department of Education. Congress, which established the department nearly 50 years ago, would need to vote to eliminate it.

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