FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2025
SILVER SPRING, MD — The National Association of School Nurses (NASN), representing nearly 20,000 school nurses across the country, is deeply concerned about the potential implications of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order directing the closure of the U.S. Department of Education to the maximum extent permitted by law.
While the Department itself may be the focus of the Executive Order, the real impact will fall squarely on the shoulders of children—particularly the more than 7.5 million students with disabilities who depend on federal protections like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
“These programs are not optional,” said NASN CEO Terri Hinkley, EdD, MBA, BScN, RN, CAE. “They are essential to ensuring that all children—regardless of ability, income, or geography—can access a high-quality education and the support services they need to thrive.”
Transferring oversight and implementation of these protections to individual states, without a clear and consistent federal framework, risks:
- Loss of essential educational services and legal protections
- Increased disparities in care, particularly in under-resourced and rural communities
- Inconsistent enforcement of civil rights across state lines
- Shifting financial burdens to already strained local and state governments that may result in cuts to or elimination of these programs
School nurses are on the front lines of student health and well-being and witness daily the critical role education systems play in a child’s development. Undermining IDEA, Section 504, and similar protections would not only jeopardize learning—it will put children’s futures at risk.
NASN calls on the Administration to issue a transparent plan that ensures continued enforcement of all federal education protections. These programs were enacted by Congress to guarantee equitable access to education for all students, and they must remain intact and fully supported.
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About NASN
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) is a nonprofit specialty nursing organization, organized in 1968 and incorporated in 1977, representing school nurses exclusively. NASN has close to 18,000 members and 50 affiliates, including the District of Columbia and overseas. The mission of NASN is to optimize student health and learning by advancing the practice of school nursing. To learn more about NASN, please visit us on the Web at www.nasn.org or call 866-627-6767.
Media Contacts:
Kate McDuffie
National Association of School Nurses
kmcduffie@nasn.org
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