Council Committee of the Whole FY2027 Education Budget Hearing - April 23, 2026

The Committee of the Whole, chaired by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, held a public hearing on the Mayor's proposed FY2027 budget for education agencies. The hearing featured testimony from 63 non-government witnesses followed by government witnesses from the D.C. State Athletic Association (DCSAA), State Board of Education (SBOE), Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education, Office of the Student Advocate, University of the District of Columbia (UDC), and the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME). Key topics included out-of-school time (OST) funding, special education adequacy, high-impact tutoring, adult education cuts, equitable funding between DCPS and charter schools, school-based mental health, and UDC's workforce programs.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Eric Goulet (Ward 3 SBOE representative): Expressed appreciation for past funding but requested $35,000 to offset an IT assessment increase and $38,000 in the FY26 supplemental to restore hybrid public meetings at the old Council chambers. Also urged reallocation of capital funds to purchase the former Intelsat campus for UDC workforce development.
• Tierra Stewart (DC Scores): Emphasized that stable, multi-year OST funding is critical for youth development and safety. Noted that DC Scores raises $4 for every $1 of government funding.
• Chelsea Coffin (DC Policy Center): Supported investments in Advanced Technical Centers (ATCs) and the Education Through Employment Pathways (ETEP) data system, but expressed concern about a proposed $2.5 million reduction to adult and family education grants, which would limit access for 40,000 adults without a high school diploma.
• Michael Rodriguez (St. Coletta of Greater Washington): Stated that the current UPSFF funding model does not cover students with the most intensive needs. Requested $2.7 million for FY27 to avoid cutting IEP-mandated services. Urged implementation of a Level 5 special education weight, saying partial funding creates a “vicious cycle.”
• Leslie Lewis (PD Green program): Urged continued investment in OST programming for incarcerated youth, noting that her program is the only LEARN24 grantee providing educational services in D.C. correctional facilities.
• Andrew Lee (Washington Conservatory of Music): Called for a 10% increase in OST grant funding to keep pace with inflation. Also recommended requiring DCPS to subgrant a portion of its $8.1 million in UPSFF OST funds to community-based organizations.
• Gabriela Silva (PAVE): Highlighted the importance of high-impact tutoring (HIT) and expressed concern about a nearly 25% cut to school-based mental health (SBMH) funding, which would disrupt services and undermine academic achievement.
• Scott Goldstein (Empower Ed): Noted that the budget fails to adequately fund special education (Level 5) and adult education. Called for a $700,000 post-secondary success hub and criticized the DME's dual language feasibility study as an “abdication of leadership.”
• Laura Maestis (DC Prep CEO): Argued that charter students receive nearly $10,000 less per student than DCPS peers when factoring in funding outside the UPSFF, including facilities. Urged equitable funding and inclusion of charter schools in city emergency planning.
• Celia Dartridge (special education school leader): Stressed that cuts to DBH grants for mental health partnerships force schools to pick and choose which students receive services, creating equity issues.
• Multiple parents and advocates (e.g., Catrice Turner, Lashima Burnett, Tara Brown, Ty Andrews): Urged protecting the $3 million investment in HIT, citing personal success stories and noting that only 1 in 4 D.C. students is proficient in reading and math.
• Asha Anthony (UDC Law student): Asked the Council to restore UDC funding to FY26 levels, noting that UDC Law provides nearly 100,000 hours of free legal services annually.
• David Trugo (Washington Urban Debate League): Supported OST funding increases and requiring DCPS to subgrant to community partners. Noted that debate provides academic gains comparable to HIT at one-third the cost.
• Jacqueline Lindsay (DC Scholars board chair): Requested equitable charter facilities funding, noting a $339 million gap between DCPS and charter schools in capital spending.

Discussion Items

• DCSAA Executive Director Kenneth Owens: Testified that a net reduction of $27,000 constrains expansion of middle school sports and girls' flag football. A Title IX equity report has not been produced since 2018 due to data collection challenges.
• SBOE President Jacques Patterson: Noted that unexpected Octo assessments and aging audio-visual equipment forced the board to suspend hybrid meetings. Requested $35,000 for IT costs and $38,000 for hybrid meeting restoration.
• Ombudsman Kimberly Humphrey: Reported 944 hotline contacts and over 300 families served in case management this school year, with 97% satisfaction. Encouraged funding to maintain operations.
• Chief Student Advocate Dan Davis: Requested converting a part-time grad fellow to full-time to expand capacity. Noted that special education, student safety, and enrollment access are top concerns.
• UDC President Maurice Eddington: Asked for restoration of $1.688 million for the Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning (WDLL) division, acknowledging that outcome data is incomplete but pledging to improve measurement. Discussed capital project funding shortfalls and the need for stable operating support.
• Deputy Mayor Paul Kine: Defended the budget’s priorities, including a 2.55% UPSFF increase, $27 million in OST grants, and new UPSFF weight (.58) for ATCs. Explained that $96 million in funding outside the formula for DCPS was a difficult but necessary trade-off. Responded to questions about UDC workforce programs, school-based mental health cuts (stated reduction is $2.7 million, not $6 million), and attendance interventions.

Key Outcomes

• Chairman Mendelson requested follow-up data from DME on: multi-year plan for the truancy prevention pilot, itemization of all attendance programs and costs, and security cost policies for OST programs.
• The DME committed to providing the requested information in the coming days.
• The Council will hold additional budget hearings, including on the D.C. Public Charter School Board and the FY26 supplemental budget.
• Several witnesses and the Chairman expressed concern about the lack of outcome data for UDC's WDLL programs and the need for a long-term solution (Level 5 weight) for special education schools like St. Coletta.
• The Chairman noted that restoring the $1.688 million for UDC's WDLL would depend on improved data and accountability.