The 43-day federal government shutdown disrupted Education Department operations, stalled formula payments to Head Start and Impact Aid, and prompted layoffs and back-pay uncertainty for federal employees supporting campus and K–12 programs. Education leaders and state officials are now racing to reconcile delayed payments and to rebuild trust after canceled grants and a mid-November funding scramble. The Department of Education reversed layoff notices for hundreds of employees after the shutdown ended, but staff warn that reinstatement may not restore normal operations. Districts and community providers reported months-long impacts from frozen July funding and grant cancellations; federal, state, and campus leaders are revising contingency plans for future lapses in federal support.