Council Committee Holds Public Hearing on FY2027 DCPS and Charter School Budgets – April 22, 2026

On April 22, 2026, the Council of the District of Columbia's Committee as a Whole, chaired by Chairman Phil Mendelson, held a public hearing on the Mayor's proposed fiscal year 2027 budgets for DC Public Schools (DCPS) and the DC Public Charter School Board. The hearing began at 10:22 a.m. and featured testimony from nearly 100 registered public witnesses, including school principals, teachers, parents, students, and advocacy organization representatives. The discussion focused on funding equity between DCPS and charter schools, special education funding, early childhood aid, out-of-school time programs, high-impact tutoring, educator professional development, facilities funding, and the structural challenges of the city's four-year financial plan.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Amanda Delabar, Principal of Tubman Elementary School (DCPS) – Reported a 4 percentage point increase in ELA proficiency and an 8.8 percentage point increase in math proficiency, attributed to a co-teaching model and wraparound services. She noted that the school's budget was workable despite a decline in projected enrollment, and that the school operates as both a community school and a DCPS Connected School. She expressed concern about the impact of federal immigration enforcement on attendance and enrollment, losing families on a weekly basis, and two educators stuck in visa renewal processes who may have to leave the country.
• Carolina Brito, Principal of Oyster-Adams Bilingual School (DCPS) – Highlighted academic gains for English language learners (15.5 percentage points in math, 12.1 in ELA) and economically disadvantaged students (19 percentage points in ELA). She noted that the school's budget is right-sized but that the student population has shifted as immigrant families flee the city due to federal immigration enforcement, compromising the school's mission. She also mentioned that the green card program termination is a disincentive for international educators.
• Katrina Owens, Executive Director of DC Scores – Thanked the Mayor for continued investment in out-of-school time (OST) but asked the council to protect OST funding. She noted that DC Scores serves 3,500 poet-athletes across 68 schools, with 2,500 in DCPS, and has a waitlist of 20 schools. She urged the council to require schools to partner with community-based OST providers to ensure public dollars reach experienced organizations.
• Danielle Robinette, Senior Policy Attorney, Children's Law Center – Raised concerns about parity between DCPS and charter schools, noting that shifting DCPS fixed costs to the Department of General Services (DGS) undermines the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF). She also highlighted a lack of detail in public budget documents regarding special education funding, specifically a $21.3 million increase in personnel costs for school special education but a $9.2 million cut in the Office of Teaching and Learning, which includes specialized instruction. She urged the committee to clarify how special education investments will meet student needs and called for a Level 5 special education add-on as recommended by the DME's adequacy study, which would provide more sustainable funding for St. Coletta Special Education Public Charter School.
• Ariel Johnson, Executive Director, DC Charter School Alliance – Emphasized the 30th anniversary of DC charter schools, which serve nearly 48,000 students. She argued that the proposed budget shortchanges charter students by approximately $2,000 per student compared to DCPS peers, citing $96 million in DCPS operating costs funded outside the UPSFF. She also noted that the charter facilities allotment is frozen through FY30 while DCPS capital funding increases by $72 million, and that rising utility costs (20% increase in the past year) force schools to shift money from classrooms.
• Gabriela Silva, Senior Program Manager, PAVE (Parents Amplifying Voices in Education) – Advocated for protecting $3 million in funding for high-impact tutoring (HIT), citing data that students receiving HIT through City Schools Collaborative gained the equivalent of 59 additional instructional days in math, and 92% of lower-achieving students achieved 138% of expected growth in math and 133% in reading. She also urged investment in educator professional development, especially in the science of reading, and called for equitable funding across sectors, noting that charter schools receive about $2,000 less per student.
• Michael Rodriguez, CEO, St. Coletta Special Education Public Charter School – Described a funding crisis, stating that the school expects to enroll 21 additional students requiring one-to-one support in FY27, costing $1.6 million. He requested $2.7 million in supplemental funding, noting that the council's previous $1.2 million covered only about 50% of the need. He said the lack of a Level 5 funding weight creates a systematic, recurring shortfall, and that the district has knowingly failed to meet its legal obligations to adequately resource students with severe disabilities.
• Russ Williams, CEO, Center City Public Charter Schools – Testified about the new makerspace in Ward 5, the first of its kind in DC, serving both charter and DCPS students. He urged the council to equitably fund all charter and public schools by channeling funds through the UPSFF rather than using outside budgeting mechanisms.
• Simon Rodberg, Executive Director, Lee Montessori Public Charter Schools – Stressed the need to pay educators better and noted that the lack of a facilities increase, lack of comparable funding for DGS-covered costs, and lack of teacher compensation funds to match DCPS impact bonuses make it impossible to close the compensation gap with DCPS. He said teacher retention is above the city average but is threatened by inadequate funding.
• Ebony Rose Thompson, Ward 7 Representative, DC State Board of Education – Argued that the budget does not present a unified strategy to address chronic truancy, which remains high, especially in high schools. She noted that the community schools grant program is zeroed out in the proposed budget, which would harm schools in Wards 1, 5, 7, and 8. She called for a coordinated approach to attendance and safety.
• Keith Harris, Board Vice Chair, DC Scholars Public Charter School – Highlighted the inequity of the proposed budget, noting that DCPS receives $560 million in facilities funding while charters receive $187 million, despite serving roughly the same number of students. He asked the council to ensure all education funding flows through the UPSFF, maintain the 3.1% annual charter facilities allotment increase, and preserve funding for school nurses, mental health clinicians, and safe passage programs.
• Ursula Ware, Parent and Student at Community College Preparatory Academy – Spoke as a mother of two children at KIPP DC public charter schools, advocating for adequate supports and materials for students. She asked the council to understand what parents need to help schools receive proper support.
• Laura Fuchs, President, Washington Teachers Union – Made seven points: maintain dedicated line-item funding for H1B visa and green card processing (currently $200,000–$300,000, but unspent by DCPS), ensure DCPS follows the WTU contract in accessing educators, find and eliminate major test contracts and AI, require DCPS to process grievances more quickly, fully fund home and hospital instruction, examine early childhood education budget changes, and add accountability measures that would put DCPS leaders' paychecks at risk for noncompliance with council laws. She noted that three grievances are currently active over accessing of instructional coaches.
• Scott Goldstein, Executive Director, EmpowerEd – Called on DCPS to reassert leadership in community schools, cover permanent substitutes for high-need schools, expand the study abroad program (currently demand is 10 times availability), invest in international educators and multilingual students, and redirect funds from I-Ready (which he called a wasted contract) to personalized professional development and experiential learning. He also recommended a charter educator retention fund.
• Christina Hughes, Parent of Shirley Chisholm Elementary School Student – Requested the council to maintain four kindergarten classroom aides for the upcoming school year, as the school is facing a reduction from four to two aides while also moving to a swing space for modernization. She argued that the reduction would harm young learners, especially in a dual-language program, and that the school's budget assistance request was denied despite being a unique situation for a school in swing space.
• Alessandra Pinna, Impact Director, The Literacy Lab – Highlighted the need to professionalize the paraprofessional workforce, noting that nearly 3,000 paraprofessionals in DC public and charter schools lack consistent training, professional development, and career pathways, leading to high turnover. She urged investment in a grow-your-own teacher pipeline.
• Multiple Witnesses on High-Impact Tutoring and Educator Professional Development – A series of parent leaders and teachers from PAVE, EmpowerEd, and other organizations testified in support of protecting $3 million for HIT and investing in science of reading and math professional development. They cited data on improved attendance and academic gains, and urged the council to maintain these investments.
• Witnesses on Charter School Funding Equity – Numerous charter school leaders, teachers, and parents (including from DC Prep, Capital City, Washington Latin, Friendship, Two Rivers, and others) testified about the $2,000 per student gap, the freezing of the facilities allotment, and the impact on staffing, teacher compensation, and programs. They called for all education funding to flow through the UPSFF and for the 3.1% annual facilities increase to be restored.
• Witnesses on Adult Education – Representatives from Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School and BRIA Public Charter School urged the council to increase the adult learner weight in the UPSFF from 1.0 to 1.3, increase the adult learner transit subsidy from $70 to $100 per month, and maintain social safety net programs. They highlighted the role of adult education in workforce development and family stability.
• Witnesses on Shirley Chisholm Elementary School – Multiple parents and a teacher (Jenny Settlin, Robin Resch, Amber Williams, Stacy Lobatos) testified about the proposed reduction of kindergarten aides from four to two, emphasizing the importance of aides for small-group instruction, especially during the swing space transition and modernization. They noted that the school is a Title I school and cannot fundraise to fill the gap, and that the school's ELA proficiency has shown consistent year-over-year growth.

Discussion Items

• Chairman Mendelson's Remarks on the Financial Plan – Chairman Mendelson noted that the Mayor's proposed budget includes a 2.55% increase to the UPSFF for FY27, but that the four-year financial plan projects a reduction in the UPSFF after FY27, along with significant cuts to out-of-school time and other programs. He stated that the financial plan is "a mess" and structurally imbalanced, and that the council must decide whether to address the multi-year plan or continue with single-year fixes. He noted that the council filled gaps for St. Coletta in previous years but only covered about 50% of the need.
• Discussion on Cash Flow and Charter School Advances – Chairman Mendelson raised the issue of the city's cash flow challenges, particularly the lump-sum payment to charter schools in July/August. He mentioned potential changes to the advance payment, possibly reducing the amount or spreading it out, and asked for feedback from charter school leaders. Ariel Johnson expressed concern that smaller schools rely on the full advance to hire staff and open on time, and that any reduction would be disruptive.
• Discussion on Facilities and Equity – Several council members and witnesses discussed the disparity in facilities funding between DCPS and charter schools, with DCPS receiving $560 million in capital funding compared to $187 million for charters, despite serving roughly the same number of students. Chairman Mendelson acknowledged the policy issue and said he agrees that DCPS should not be funded outside the UPSFF.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken during this public witness hearing. The hearing was solely for receiving testimony from public witnesses; government witnesses for DCPS will be heard on May 1, 2026, and for the Public Charter School Board on April 24, 2026.
• Chairman Mendelson indicated that the council will work to restore funding for schools that are underfunded according to the Schools First in Budgeting Act, and specifically mentioned Shirley Chisholm Elementary School as being near the top of the list with an estimated shortfall of $281,000.
• He noted that the council will examine the special education funding details, including the $21.3 million increase in personnel costs and the $9.2 million cut in the Office of Teaching and Learning, and will ask the chancellor about these items during the May 1st hearing.
• Chairman Mendelson committed to following up on the issue of Shirley Chisholm's modernization and swing space, and to working with councilmember Allen to improve communication between DCPS and the school community.
• He also acknowledged the need to address the structural imbalance in the financial plan and to consider multi-year funding stability for out-of-school time, UPSFF, and other education investments.
• The council will continue budget hearings on April 23 (UDC, DME, State Board of Education, Athletic Association), April 24 (Public Charter School Board and supplemental budget), and May 1 (DCPS government witnesses), with a final Committee of the Whole hearing on the entire budget legislation on May 13.