Subtracting $1B from DC Govt has to affect DCPS/PCS, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is $350 million in school funding "cut immediately?"

The same way that federal agencies are being cut now?? Ask for voluntary resignations and early retirements and then schedule terminations with little notice. Freeze all non-personnel spending. Maybe end the school year early. Cut preschool and preK, adult education and the STAY/dropout programs as they are not compulsory. There are really no good answers when it comes to schools. It seems crazy that this even has to be contemplated when most of this money is local DC taxpayer money.

What's not clear to me is whether the total is $350 million or is it just the portion of that $350 million that is left for the remainder of the federal fiscal year (through September 30).

Is there a date that the available funding will run out? I mean, at what point in the school year will the available pot of money (minus the $365 million that will now no longer be available) be spent?

I haven't seen any dates but these resolutions are typically enacted immediately. I'm more familiar with charter finances not DCPS. Charters receive quarterly payments for their operations - July, September, January and April. We are hearing that the next payments for April, July and September could be significantly reduced. All schools are going to be hurt but given the way budgeting is prioritized, DCPS might have more opportunities for stabilization funds. Still if this passes, I'm guessing even DCPS will see devastating cuts and some charters could fail to make payroll which will put them up for closure/revocation.

If there is equity in the cuts across both types of schools, this is probably $3,500 per kid that needs to be cut.

It's really hard to believe that this is even in the realm of possibility.

So charters potentially won't have adequate money for salaries in April. And if they have no money they either 1)fire staff or 2)ask staff to work for free?

I'm hoping that if this happens, the schools will ask the parents for donations. I would be happy to donate some money to keep my kids in school.

3,500 PER STUDENT of money raised via donation? You have to be kidding. This is a structural failure and individual contributions wouldn't / couldn't make a meaningful difference.

Disagree. If done at a school level, parents may be willing to pay to keep their kids in school, especially if the alternative is paying more for daycare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This seems like something that should be fought in court.

Unfortunately, Congress has the authority to do this.

Keep us from spending our own money during the middle of a school year? It should at least be raised whether congress should have the right to do this since it's a rather egregious situation.

Yes, legally they can do that because they have oversight authority over our budgets. And people have been debating their right to do so and DC's status/petitions for statehood for decades. Good luck getting people outside the city to spend their political capital to fight it now.

It is horrible and will be devastating. But in this instance, they are doing it legally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This seems like something that should be fought in court.

Unfortunately, Congress has the authority to do this.

Keep us from spending our own money during the middle of a school year? It should at least be raised whether congress should have the right to do this since it's a rather egregious situation.

Yes, legally they can do that because they have oversight authority over our budgets. And people have been debating their right to do so and DC's status/petitions for statehood for decades. Good luck getting people outside the city to spend their political capital to fight it now.

It is horrible and will be devastating. But in this instance, they are doing it legally.

Technically they have some authority but since contracts will have to severed likely against the terms there will be lawsuits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This seems like something that should be fought in court.

Unfortunately, Congress has the authority to do this.

Keep us from spending our own money during the middle of a school year? It should at least be raised whether congress should have the right to do this since it's a rather egregious situation.

Yes, legally they can do that because they have oversight authority over our budgets. And people have been debating their right to do so and DC's status/petitions for statehood for decades. Good luck getting people outside the city to spend their political capital to fight it now.

It is horrible and will be devastating. But in this instance, they are doing it legally.

The political capital would be negligible if the battle is in the courts.

[Anonymous]

There should be a lawsuit alleging “irreparable harm” filed in US District Court for DC. And requesting at least a temporary restraining order

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There should be a lawsuit alleging “irreparable harm” filed in US District Court for DC. And requesting at least a temporary restraining order

Against what? Congress passing legislation? A TRO isn't possible for that.

[Anonymous]

For Congress lumping DC in as a “federal agency” when it isn’t. It’s a grey area but can Congress purposely cause irreparable harm to DC? Worth a lawsuit at least.

[Anonymous]

Also interesting that I tried to raise this issue on here yesterday with a new thread and it was almost immediately deleted. The censoring on here probably would make the CCP blush.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is $350 million in school funding "cut immediately?"

Furloughs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For Congress lumping DC in as a “federal agency” when it isn’t. It’s a grey area but can Congress purposely cause irreparable harm to DC? Worth a lawsuit at least.

That's the fight to come and will be about whether the Executive Branch has hiring/firing authority over the DC Government.

This is about appropriations and whether Congress has the power to approve/disapprove of our budget. Unfortunately, the current law is clear that they do. The Democrats could have changed this many times over the years but chose not to.

[Anonymous]

Why is the Washington Post not covering this local aspect of a national issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is the Washington Post not covering this local aspect of a national issue?

They are covering it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is the Washington Post not covering this local aspect of a national issue?

They are covering it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/03/09/dc-budget-congress-house-republicans-continuing-resolution/

[Anonymous]

I predict a 4 day school week. Which will pair nicely with return to office, butts in seats 5x a week. Can’t let those literacy scores creep up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is $350 million in school funding "cut immediately?"

The same way that federal agencies are being cut now?? Ask for voluntary resignations and early retirements and then schedule terminations with little notice. Freeze all non-personnel spending. Maybe end the school year early. Cut preschool and preK, adult education and the STAY/dropout programs as they are not compulsory. There are really no good answers when it comes to schools. It seems crazy that this even has to be contemplated when most of this money is local DC taxpayer money.

What's not clear to me is whether the total is $350 million or is it just the portion of that $350 million that is left for the remainder of the federal fiscal year (through September 30).

Is there a date that the available funding will run out? I mean, at what point in the school year will the available pot of money (minus the $365 million that will now no longer be available) be spent?

I haven't seen any dates but these resolutions are typically enacted immediately. I'm more familiar with charter finances not DCPS. Charters receive quarterly payments for their operations - July, September, January and April. We are hearing that the next payments for April, July and September could be significantly reduced. All schools are going to be hurt but given the way budgeting is prioritized, DCPS might have more opportunities for stabilization funds. Still if this passes, I'm guessing even DCPS will see devastating cuts and some charters could fail to make payroll which will put them up for closure/revocation.

If there is equity in the cuts across both types of schools, this is probably $3,500 per kid that needs to be cut.

It's really hard to believe that this is even in the realm of possibility.

So charters potentially won't have adequate money for salaries in April. And if they have no money they either 1)fire staff or 2)ask staff to work for free?

I'm hoping that if this happens, the schools will ask the parents for donations. I would be happy to donate some money to keep my kids in school.

3,500 PER STUDENT of money raised via donation? You have to be kidding. This is a structural failure and individual contributions wouldn't / couldn't make a meaningful difference.

Worried that the parents who could help out will just go to independent schools! I would!