CONTACT: Jessica Giles
(202) 599-0089 | Jessica@strongschoolsnow.org

Washington, D.C. Yesterday, June 9th, the full DC Council approved on first reading the Fiscal Year 2027 Local Budget Act of 2026 and the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Support Act of 2026. More than 250 members of DC’s education community took action to #ClosetheGapDC. In response, the DC Council passed a budget that includes:

• $133,000 in non-personnel funding, one full time math specialist, $70,000 in one-time funding for a vendor to support a Math Professional Learning Community to implement evidence-based math instruction, and a requirement to publish High-Quality Instruction Materials. 
• $281,000 in non-personnel funding, two full time coaches and assessment vouchers to support schools with structured literacy instruction. 
• $3 million in funding for High-Impact Tutoring to maintain the number of students receiving tutoring services.
• $7.8 million annually for the Advanced Technical Centers to continue supporting students  in dual-credit pathways in cybersecurity, general nursing, clinical medical assistant, and emergency medical technician.
• $200,000 for the Education Through Employment Data System to track how DC students perform after high school, including their wages, industries of employment, and outcomes by education pathway and foster care status.
• A one-time $15.7 million increase to DC public charter schools for FY 2027, via a per pupil foundation level up to $15,648. 
• $18 million beginning in FY 2029 and $42.3 million over the financial plan to reverse the Mayor’s proposed pause of the 3.1 percent annual increase to the per pupil public facility allowance for public charter schools.

In response, Jessica Giles, Executive Director of CSPS, made the following statement:

“In a challenging fiscal year, the DC Council made important strides towards closing the funding gap, the achievement gap, and the degree and credential gap. ​We appreciate Chairman Mendelson and the entire DC Council for ​​investing in literacy and math​, expanding real career pathways​, ​and taking a positive step toward fair funding for both sectors.

Still, the gap is not closed and charter school​ students ​are set to receive less funding per student than DCPS. 

As the budget process unfolds, we ​look forward to working with the DC Council to close the gap for all students.”

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ABOUT:
The Center for Strong Public Schools is a 501(c)(3) organization with offices in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Our D.C. Office works to ensure that every student—especially Black, Brown, and low-income students—attends a high-quality public school regardless of their zip code. We elevate research for policymakers and convene leaders to drive improvement. Learn more at strongschoolsnow.org/dc.