School Budget Update, ANC 3/4G-05, 2/19/24

Hello Good Neighbors,

We all benefit from strong public schools. The FY 2025 budget was released recently by Chancellor Ferebee. It puts schools in a difficult and unacceptable position. 

A Washington Post article covers the complicated budget. Notice Education Secretary Cardona's call:

“I want governors and local leaders to get the baton passed to them and maintain the level of urgency that [President Biden] had on addressing achievement disparities, on addressing inequities in funding in education.”

The DC Policy center issued a report on the budget that can be found here. It concluded: 

"The District’s ability to manage these financial challenges effectively will have lasting implications on the quality of education and the equitable provision of educational services. As such, it calls for a collective effort from all stakeholders–including school leaders, teachers, families, and policymakers–to ensure that the quality of education in the District of Columbia is sustained and continues to improve, even in the face of financial adversity."

This is the Lafayette Budget update. The school principal Dr. B states:

The overall impact is a reduced buying power of about 24%. That’s a gap of around $2 million dollar in cuts to be made.

As a result of these dramatics reductions in our budget, the LSAT and I are working through different scenarios that include possible cuts to the following areas:

-Increased class size

-Reductions in math and ELA interventionists

-Reductions in Instructional Coaches

-Reductions in administrative support (assistant principals, DSL positions, and office staff)

-Reductions in World Language

-Reductions in social emotional supports for students (counselors, psychologists, etc)

Please take the LSAT Budget Feedback Survey today if you have a child there. There  will also be a meeting on Wednesday morning at 7:30am to discuss the budget. This slide has more Lafayette budget details. '

To further complicate matters, the Washington Teachers' Union still has no contract, or even contract negotiations. Teacher retention is still a problem and the impacts of Covid are still with us, this is hardy the time to be making cuts in education. 

Lafayette isn't the only school to face this, schools all over the city are in this situation. As a union teacher myself, with family in DCPS, this shouldn't be happening. Education should be the last place we cut corners. Let's ensure the success of schools here and across the city. Let's make sure they are fully funded.

What can you do?

-Email and call the Mayor, Deputy Mayor of Education, Chancellor of Education, Councilmember Frumin, and At-Large Councilmembers. Tell them what you think. 

-Testify on February 28th at the Council oversight hearing on education. 

-Join the Ward 3 EdNet Discussions:

Tuesday, March 12 at 7pm via Zoom:  At our March meeting, we will host Councilmember Matt Frumin.  The Council member will discuss school budgets.  We will then take questions from the audience. Register in advance for this meeting here to get a Zoom link.

The ANC meets next Monday, February 26. Please reach out with any ideas or concerns you may have. 

Thank you all and stay involved. 

Peter