Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a $123 million increase in public school funding as part of the fiscal year 2026 budget, despite an estimated $1 billion budget shortfall over the next four years.

Mayor Bowser’s plan proposed a 2.74% increase in the city’s per-pupil funding formula, which dictates how much money is spent on each student. This increase will bring the foundation level to $15,070 per student, leading to an additional $75 million of funding to D.C. public schools and $48 million to public charter schools. 

Bowser said in a statement that D.C. will remain committed to its public schools amid budget cuts from the federal government.

“We are going to continue investing in our schools; and even in this tight budget environment, we will make sure our schools have what they need to give our students the opportunities and experiences they deserve,” Mayor Bowser said in the statement.

In the Georgetown neighborhood, Hyde-Addison Elementary School will receive an additional $492,426 and Hardy Middle School will receive an additional $342,915 under this proposal.

Natalie Ham (SFS ‘26) is a coordinator for the Georgetown After School Kids Program (ASK), a mentoring and tutoring program for local public charter schools. At ASK, Ham works with students at Girls Global Academy, a public charter high school in Penn Quarter that specializes in global affairs. 

Ham said she thinks an increase in funding will create more opportunities for students to explore their global education outside the classroom.  

“If they receive more funding, then they would be able to have greater opportunities to expand more on their interests, such as connecting students with organizations that can actualize their interests,” Ham told the Hoya. 

As funding increases, the D.C. public school system estimated that an additional 1,000 students will join the public school system by FY 2026, bringing total enrollment to roughly 101,000. Throughout the last decade, enrollment in D.C. public schools has increased by more than 14%.

To support fluctuations in enrollment, Mayor Bowser announced the implementation of the School Sustainability Fund, which aims to protect schools from rising prices by ensuring they receive at least 95% of their funding from the previous fiscal year. 

The FY 2026 budget also seeks to expand the school system safety net, which sets aside funds for schools to provide a baseline level of education for elementary and middle schools, ensuring a student-teacher ratio of 20:1 in kindergarten through 2nd grade and 25:1 in 3rd through 12th grade. 

Alix Nikolić de Jacinto (SFS ‘28) attended Key Elementary School, a D.C. public school in the Palisades, and said the expansion of the baseline student-teacher ratio to include elementary and middle schools is a step in the right direction for the District.

“There is a massive discrepancy in terms of resources and opportunities for public schools,” Nikolić de Jacinto told the Hoya. “I think that is a necessary step that has been long overdue.”

D.C. Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee predicted the loss of 40,000 jobs due to layoffs by the Department of Government Efficiency, an effort to increase government productivity through methods like funding cuts, resulting in an average $342.1 million annual loss in revenue. Lee said there may be a mild recession in FY 2026, with GDP estimated to contract by 1.9 percent. 

“As a government-driven economy, the District relies heavily on federal jobs and related economic activity, making the new administration’s policies a key factor in shaping the city’s economic outlook,” Lee wrote in a letter to Bowser.

Under the proposed budget for FY 2026, six schools will face cuts due to lower enrollment. Dunbar High School is set to lose $871,100 in funding with projected enrollment down by 226 students. Jackson-Reed High School will also lose $202,841 in funding with a projected decrease in enrollment by 200 students. 

 D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said D.C. will have to cut programs in order to fit the new budget.

“This upcoming budget season is going to be especially difficult, and there is no way around it: the District government will need to cut programs and services in order to achieve a balanced budget,” Mendelson wrote in a public statement. “The consequences of the federal government’s decisions, unfortunately, will force the District to make some very tough choices in this budget.”

Ham said an increase in funding will give students a sense of stability.

“A sense of belonging, a sense of stability is so important, especially for education, because if you have these external factors affecting you, you can’t really focus on your education,” Ham said. “An increase in funding would really help.”