For fiscal year (FY) 2015, the mayor proposes to spend about $1.9 billion in local funds on education and related services for children in pre-kindergarten through high school. This analysis covers proposed education spending for: DC Public Schools, Public Charter Schools, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the Office of Public Facilities Modernization, Non-Public Tuition and Special Education Transportation.
The proposed FY 2015 budget includes a number of changes that could provide an increase in local per pupil funding for DC Public Schools (DCPS) and Public Charter Schools. Like in FY 2014, the current fiscal year, the mayor proposes a two percent increase to the locally funded per-pupil formula ‘ in effect an inflation adjustment. In addition, both school sectors are projecting an increase in student enrollment from the previous year. Other changes to the school funding formula for FY 2015 reflect recommendations made by a mayoral-commissioned study to more adequately fund public education, with the addition of a new weight for at-risk students, and increased local resources for adult, alternative, English language learner, and special education students. The proposed budget also includes an inflation adjustment in the facilities allotment for public charter schools, from $3,000 in FY 2014 to $3,072 per student for FY 2015.
Within the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the budget proposes new investments in early childhood programs in FY 2015. The budget proposes an additional $4 million to build DC’s early childhood Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), which sets tiered reimbursement rates for child care providers who meet requirements corresponding with rating levels of quality. Another $3 million is proposed to increase child care slots for infants and toddlers. The mayor’s budget also includes a contingent revenue list and proposes to increase the number of infant and toddler slots if the District’s revenues rise above current projected levels.
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