LA schools superintendent says closing of DOE would bring ‘catastrophic harm’

(LOS ANGELES) -- With mass layoffs taking place at the Department of Education, the superintendent for the nation's second largest public school system says the closure of the department would bring "catastrophic harm" if there is any reduction to the federal funding that students in his district receive.

In a video statement, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the county receives hundreds of millions of dollars for low-income students and others.

"We receive an excess of $750 million earmarked for poor students, English language learners, students with disabilities, and connectivity investments so that students can be connected with their learning, breakfast and lunch programs," Carvalho said.

The Department of Education initiated mass layoffs on Tuesday night, reducing its workforce by nearly 50%, sources told ABC News.

The "reduction in force" notices began to go out Tuesday at about 6 p.m. ET

Some 1,315 employees were affected by the RIFs, leaving 2,183 employed by the department, according to senior officials at the DOE.

"Any reduction at the federal level, specific to these investments will bring about catastrophic harm in Los Angeles and across the country," Carvalho said.

A statement released Tuesday from the Department of Education said that the DOE will "continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency's purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking."

"This is primarily a streamlining effort for internal facing roles and not external facing roles," a senior DOE official said of the layoffs.

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