WHAT’S IN THE FY 2012 BUDGET FOR EDUCATION?

Education is one of the largest areas of the DC budget and includes several substantial agencies and functions. The DC Public Schools and DC Public Charter Schools receive roughly $1 billion in local funds to serve about 75,000 students. The District will spend about $240 million in 2012 on tuition and transportation for special education students who attend private schools because the public schools are unable to accommodate their needs. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) provides state-level support functions in areas such as special education and nutrition services, and the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization (OPEFM) has responsibility for overseeing school maintenance and construction projects, although OPEFM would be absorbed into a new agency in the proposed 2012 budget.