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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every state ... and DC ... has the same two biggest expenses: 1) education, and 2) Medicaid.

Very hard to deduct this much from a budget and it doesn't hit education.

DC spends more per student than any other state (or possibly even country on earth). And has really bad outcomes for students. Top of the list for cost, bottom of the list for outcomes. I think cutting from the education budget should absolutely be possible. But they should get rid of administrators, not teachers.

Compare the per-student to that of other large cities, not states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It's a wonderful idea but 46% of students in charters are designated at-risk which is usually due to family poverty, homelessness, participation is benefits program (welfare, food stamps). The DCPS rate is similar -- 45%. Some families may be willing and able to pay but many cannot.

+1
My guess is rich parents will prop up their schools like Janney and everywhere else will be sol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It's a wonderful idea but 46% of students in charters are designated at-risk which is usually due to family poverty, homelessness, participation is benefits program (welfare, food stamps). The DCPS rate is similar -- 45%. Some families may be willing and able to pay but many cannot.

+1
My guess is rich parents will prop up their schools like Janney and everywhere else will be sol

Cannot wait to see those WOTP GoFundMes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS: cut admin, cut CO positions, and get rid of IMPACT. The absurd amount of money, time, positions, etc related to IMPACT are absolutely absurd. Look to MCPS for teacher evaluation guidance…. It doesn’t have to be soooo complicated

This. They should not fire teachers.

Teachers should not be fired but not sure how schools get around that given the amount that may need to be cut. 60-70% of school budgets are staff and the majority of that staff are teachers or teachers and instructional support (paraprofessionals and dedicated aides). A 500 student school that has to cut $3,000 per student has to cut $1.5 million out of the last two months of school. These cuts aren't going to be spread across a whole school year, if the continuing resolution passes as is, the cuts have to be done over a couple of months. There aren't enough administrators and other staff in schools. Teachers may be cut last but the cuts will reach everyone.

I'm trying not to worry as I don't actually believe that this continuing resolution will make it through the next vote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS: cut admin, cut CO positions, and get rid of IMPACT. The absurd amount of money, time, positions, etc related to IMPACT are absolutely absurd. Look to MCPS for teacher evaluation guidance…. It doesn’t have to be soooo complicated

This. They should not fire teachers.

Teachers should not be fired but not sure how schools get around that given the amount that may need to be cut. 60-70% of school budgets are staff and the majority of that staff are teachers or teachers and instructional support (paraprofessionals and dedicated aides). A 500 student school that has to cut $3,000 per student has to cut $1.5 million out of the last two months of school. These cuts aren't going to be spread across a whole school year, if the continuing resolution passes as is, the cuts have to be done over a couple of months. There aren't enough administrators and other staff in schools. Teachers may be cut last but the cuts will reach everyone.

I'm trying not to worry as I don't actually believe that this continuing resolution will make it through the next vote.

Well you could definitely cut more than 10 million from central office. Then you have coaches, deans, managers etc in schools that should go first. Then non compulsory grades then compulsory grade teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS: cut admin, cut CO positions, and get rid of IMPACT. The absurd amount of money, time, positions, etc related to IMPACT are absolutely absurd. Look to MCPS for teacher evaluation guidance…. It doesn’t have to be soooo complicated

This. They should not fire teachers.

Teachers should not be fired but not sure how schools get around that given the amount that may need to be cut. 60-70% of school budgets are staff and the majority of that staff are teachers or teachers and instructional support (paraprofessionals and dedicated aides). A 500 student school that has to cut $3,000 per student has to cut $1.5 million out of the last two months of school. These cuts aren't going to be spread across a whole school year, if the continuing resolution passes as is, the cuts have to be done over a couple of months. There aren't enough administrators and other staff in schools. Teachers may be cut last but the cuts will reach everyone.

I'm trying not to worry as I don't actually believe that this continuing resolution will make it through the next vote.

Well you could definitely cut more than 10 million from central office. Then you have coaches, deans, managers etc in schools that should go first. Then non compulsory grades then compulsory grade teachers.

The answer is furloughs. Minimal disruption to current year operations and the money could eventually be paid back as has happened before.

[Anonymous]

From Google AI.

Ngl, only 1.9% is spent on admin and that’s pretty low compared to most school districts or nonprofits. The federal dollars in DCPS are minuscule, hence why the GOP is trying to tank DC’s own dollars.

For Fiscal Year 2025, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) budget totals $1.428 billion for operating expenses and $553.98 million for capital projects, a significant increase from previous years.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Operating Budget:
FY25 Approved: $1,428,381,161
Increase from FY24: 15.6%
FTEs: 10,052.3

Capital Budget:
FY25 Approved: $553,982,839
Increase from FY24: 1.7%
FTEs: 23.0
Includes: 24 new projects and 259 ongoing projects

Key Features & Funding:

Focus on Schools:
DCPS prioritizes programs closest to schools, investing a substantial portion of its budget in school budgets and school-based supports.

Universal Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF):
DC funds public schools through the UPSFF, allocating funds to each student based on their individual needs, regardless of the school they attend.

Additional Funding:
In addition to the UPSFF, DCPS receives additional funding for various purposes, including budget stabilization, pandemic supports, and negotiated teacher salary increases.

Federal Funding:
DCPS receives federal funding, including the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), to support academic and health supports for students.

Budget cuts:
DCPS is facing budget cuts, with hundreds of teacher positions on the line.

In the DCPS FY2025 budget, approximately 86.7% is allocated to "school costs" (staff and non-personnel costs for daily operations), 11.4% to "school support" (programs and services supporting schools), and 1.9% to "central costs" (management and administration).

Here's a more detailed breakdown of the DCPS FY2025 budget:

School Costs (86.7%):
This category covers funds for staff salaries, benefits, and other non-personnel costs necessary for the day-to-day operations of schools, including instruction and student services.

School Support Costs (11.4%):
This includes funding for programs, services, and personnel that provide support to schools, such as specialized educational programs, counseling services, and other resources that enhance the learning environment.

Central Costs (1.9%):
This portion of the budget covers the costs of management, oversight, and centralized administration for the entire school district, ensuring efficient and effective operations.

Federal Payment Funds:

The school budget includes $17.5M in Federal Payment funds.

Other Budgetary Details:

DCPS is investing an additional $72M in schools for SY2025-2026.

FY26 Enrollment-Based Funding: $855M.

FY26 Targeted Support Funding: $230M.

FY26 Stability Funding: $74M.
An increase of $707 per pupil to the DCPS student base weight.

$20.7 million dedicated towards supplemental federal Title I and Title II funds.

$6.9 million for the new five-year Strategic Plan: Capital Commitment 2023-2028.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From Google AI.

Ngl, only 1.9% is spent on admin and that’s pretty low compared to most school districts or nonprofits. The federal dollars in DCPS are minuscule, hence why the GOP is trying to tank DC’s own dollars.

For Fiscal Year 2025, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) budget totals $1.428 billion for operating expenses and $553.98 million for capital projects, a significant increase from previous years.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Operating Budget:
FY25 Approved: $1,428,381,161
Increase from FY24: 15.6%
FTEs: 10,052.3

Capital Budget:
FY25 Approved: $553,982,839
Increase from FY24: 1.7%
FTEs: 23.0
Includes: 24 new projects and 259 ongoing projects

Key Features & Funding:

Focus on Schools:
DCPS prioritizes programs closest to schools, investing a substantial portion of its budget in school budgets and school-based supports.

Universal Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF):
DC funds public schools through the UPSFF, allocating funds to each student based on their individual needs, regardless of the school they attend.

Additional Funding:
In addition to the UPSFF, DCPS receives additional funding for various purposes, including budget stabilization, pandemic supports, and negotiated teacher salary increases.

Federal Funding:
DCPS receives federal funding, including the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), to support academic and health supports for students.

Budget cuts:
DCPS is facing budget cuts, with hundreds of teacher positions on the line.

In the DCPS FY2025 budget, approximately 86.7% is allocated to "school costs" (staff and non-personnel costs for daily operations), 11.4% to "school support" (programs and services supporting schools), and 1.9% to "central costs" (management and administration).

Here's a more detailed breakdown of the DCPS FY2025 budget:

School Costs (86.7%):
This category covers funds for staff salaries, benefits, and other non-personnel costs necessary for the day-to-day operations of schools, including instruction and student services.

School Support Costs (11.4%):
This includes funding for programs, services, and personnel that provide support to schools, such as specialized educational programs, counseling services, and other resources that enhance the learning environment.

Central Costs (1.9%):
This portion of the budget covers the costs of management, oversight, and centralized administration for the entire school district, ensuring efficient and effective operations.

Federal Payment Funds:

The school budget includes $17.5M in Federal Payment funds.

Other Budgetary Details:

DCPS is investing an additional $72M in schools for SY2025-2026.

FY26 Enrollment-Based Funding: $855M.

FY26 Targeted Support Funding: $230M.

FY26 Stability Funding: $74M.
An increase of $707 per pupil to the DCPS student base weight.

$20.7 million dedicated towards supplemental federal Title I and Title II funds.

$6.9 million for the new five-year Strategic Plan: Capital Commitment 2023-2028.

Yes. But DCPS is tricky. They include instructional superintendents and cluster supports as “school costs”. Not central office costs. DCPS could really use a good scrubbing down but not this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From Google AI.

Ngl, only 1.9% is spent on admin and that’s pretty low compared to most school districts or nonprofits. The federal dollars in DCPS are minuscule, hence why the GOP is trying to tank DC’s own dollars.

For Fiscal Year 2025, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) budget totals $1.428 billion for operating expenses and $553.98 million for capital projects, a significant increase from previous years.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Operating Budget:
FY25 Approved: $1,428,381,161
Increase from FY24: 15.6%
FTEs: 10,052.3

Capital Budget:
FY25 Approved: $553,982,839
Increase from FY24: 1.7%
FTEs: 23.0
Includes: 24 new projects and 259 ongoing projects

Key Features & Funding:

Focus on Schools:
DCPS prioritizes programs closest to schools, investing a substantial portion of its budget in school budgets and school-based supports.

Universal Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF):
DC funds public schools through the UPSFF, allocating funds to each student based on their individual needs, regardless of the school they attend.

Additional Funding:
In addition to the UPSFF, DCPS receives additional funding for various purposes, including budget stabilization, pandemic supports, and negotiated teacher salary increases.

Federal Funding:
DCPS receives federal funding, including the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), to support academic and health supports for students.

Budget cuts:
DCPS is facing budget cuts, with hundreds of teacher positions on the line.

In the DCPS FY2025 budget, approximately 86.7% is allocated to "school costs" (staff and non-personnel costs for daily operations), 11.4% to "school support" (programs and services supporting schools), and 1.9% to "central costs" (management and administration).

Here's a more detailed breakdown of the DCPS FY2025 budget:

School Costs (86.7%):
This category covers funds for staff salaries, benefits, and other non-personnel costs necessary for the day-to-day operations of schools, including instruction and student services.

School Support Costs (11.4%):
This includes funding for programs, services, and personnel that provide support to schools, such as specialized educational programs, counseling services, and other resources that enhance the learning environment.

Central Costs (1.9%):
This portion of the budget covers the costs of management, oversight, and centralized administration for the entire school district, ensuring efficient and effective operations.

Federal Payment Funds:

The school budget includes $17.5M in Federal Payment funds.

Other Budgetary Details:

DCPS is investing an additional $72M in schools for SY2025-2026.

FY26 Enrollment-Based Funding: $855M.

FY26 Targeted Support Funding: $230M.

FY26 Stability Funding: $74M.
An increase of $707 per pupil to the DCPS student base weight.

$20.7 million dedicated towards supplemental federal Title I and Title II funds.

$6.9 million for the new five-year Strategic Plan: Capital Commitment 2023-2028.

It’s interesting that admin bloat is less than most districts because DCPS is the one district I’ve worked in where it absolutely seems like there are way too many people in administrative positions and positions that don’t exist (and are frankly, pointless) in other districts that exist in DCPS. Schools don’t need deans on top of having principals and APs, admin secretaries at most places do the jobs of what the Logistics people do (and don’t get admin level salaries)… IMPACT wastes SO much money (not to mention time). There shouldn’t be an entire CO department dedicated to teacher evaluations. Whoever posted earlier they could take a lesson on how to do teacher evaluations from MCPS is absolutely correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS: cut admin, cut CO positions, and get rid of IMPACT. The absurd amount of money, time, positions, etc related to IMPACT are absolutely absurd. Look to MCPS for teacher evaluation guidance…. It doesn’t have to be soooo complicated

This. They should not fire teachers.

Teachers should not be fired but not sure how schools get around that given the amount that may need to be cut. 60-70% of school budgets are staff and the majority of that staff are teachers or teachers and instructional support (paraprofessionals and dedicated aides). A 500 student school that has to cut $3,000 per student has to cut $1.5 million out of the last two months of school. These cuts aren't going to be spread across a whole school year, if the continuing resolution passes as is, the cuts have to be done over a couple of months. There aren't enough administrators and other staff in schools. Teachers may be cut last but the cuts will reach everyone.

I'm trying not to worry as I don't actually believe that this continuing resolution will make it through the next vote.

Well you could definitely cut more than 10 million from central office. Then you have coaches, deans, managers etc in schools that should go first. Then non compulsory grades then compulsory grade teachers.

If you cut coaches then athletic teams at 90% of DCPS schools will just go away.

Jackson-Reed and Walls will continue on without much of a blip since their sports teams raise literally 15x more money privately compared to what DCPS budgets.

Sometimes the juice isn’t worth the squeeze when the optics of no sports teams will dominate all the headlines.

[Anonymous]

The central budget was already cut significantly for this year with a staff reduction of 10%, with another planned cut for next year. Schools have already been complaining that they aren’t receiving the same level of support due to staffing cuts. What do you think would happen if the rest were cut? Some central positions are actually vital to the functioning of a school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS: cut admin, cut CO positions, and get rid of IMPACT. The absurd amount of money, time, positions, etc related to IMPACT are absolutely absurd. Look to MCPS for teacher evaluation guidance…. It doesn’t have to be soooo complicated

This. They should not fire teachers.

Teachers should not be fired but not sure how schools get around that given the amount that may need to be cut. 60-70% of school budgets are staff and the majority of that staff are teachers or teachers and instructional support (paraprofessionals and dedicated aides). A 500 student school that has to cut $3,000 per student has to cut $1.5 million out of the last two months of school. These cuts aren't going to be spread across a whole school year, if the continuing resolution passes as is, the cuts have to be done over a couple of months. There aren't enough administrators and other staff in schools. Teachers may be cut last but the cuts will reach everyone.

I'm trying not to worry as I don't actually believe that this continuing resolution will make it through the next vote.

Well you could definitely cut more than 10 million from central office. Then you have coaches, deans, managers etc in schools that should go first. Then non compulsory grades then compulsory grade teachers.

If you cut coaches then athletic teams at 90% of DCPS schools will just go away.

Jackson-Reed and Walls will continue on without much of a blip since their sports teams raise literally 15x more money privately compared to what DCPS budgets.

Sometimes the juice isn’t worth the squeeze when the optics of no sports teams will dominate all the headlines.

I meant instructional coaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The central budget was already cut significantly for this year with a staff reduction of 10%, with another planned cut for next year. Schools have already been complaining that they aren’t receiving the same level of support due to staffing cuts. What do you think would happen if the rest were cut? Some central positions are actually vital to the functioning of a school.

I'm curious (and not trying to be argumentative), why did they make significant cuts if the budget went up by 4% for FY25?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The central budget was already cut significantly for this year with a staff reduction of 10%, with another planned cut for next year. Schools have already been complaining that they aren’t receiving the same level of support due to staffing cuts. What do you think would happen if the rest were cut? Some central positions are actually vital to the functioning of a school.

I'm curious (and not trying to be argumentative), why did they make significant cuts if the budget went up by 4% for FY25?

It was a DC council decision to give the funding directly to schools. It seems great in theory, but then schools made budget decision under the assumption central would still have funding to buy things as usual. So a school may have chosen to hire another teacher, but then central may not have the money to continue buying a particular resource they expected them to provide. Now with a potential to revert back to FY24, those new hires would likely no longer exist either. It just sucks all around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From Google AI.

Ngl, only 1.9% is spent on admin and that’s pretty low compared to most school districts or nonprofits. The federal dollars in DCPS are minuscule, hence why the GOP is trying to tank DC’s own dollars.

For Fiscal Year 2025, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) budget totals $1.428 billion for operating expenses and $553.98 million for capital projects, a significant increase from previous years.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Operating Budget:
FY25 Approved: $1,428,381,161
Increase from FY24: 15.6%
FTEs: 10,052.3

Capital Budget:
FY25 Approved: $553,982,839
Increase from FY24: 1.7%
FTEs: 23.0
Includes: 24 new projects and 259 ongoing projects

Key Features & Funding:

Focus on Schools:
DCPS prioritizes programs closest to schools, investing a substantial portion of its budget in school budgets and school-based supports.

Universal Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF):
DC funds public schools through the UPSFF, allocating funds to each student based on their individual needs, regardless of the school they attend.

Additional Funding:
In addition to the UPSFF, DCPS receives additional funding for various purposes, including budget stabilization, pandemic supports, and negotiated teacher salary increases.

Federal Funding:
DCPS receives federal funding, including the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), to support academic and health supports for students.

Budget cuts:
DCPS is facing budget cuts, with hundreds of teacher positions on the line.

In the DCPS FY2025 budget, approximately 86.7% is allocated to "school costs" (staff and non-personnel costs for daily operations), 11.4% to "school support" (programs and services supporting schools), and 1.9% to "central costs" (management and administration).

Here's a more detailed breakdown of the DCPS FY2025 budget:

School Costs (86.7%):
This category covers funds for staff salaries, benefits, and other non-personnel costs necessary for the day-to-day operations of schools, including instruction and student services.

School Support Costs (11.4%):
This includes funding for programs, services, and personnel that provide support to schools, such as specialized educational programs, counseling services, and other resources that enhance the learning environment.

Central Costs (1.9%):
This portion of the budget covers the costs of management, oversight, and centralized administration for the entire school district, ensuring efficient and effective operations.

Federal Payment Funds:

The school budget includes $17.5M in Federal Payment funds.

Other Budgetary Details:

DCPS is investing an additional $72M in schools for SY2025-2026.

FY26 Enrollment-Based Funding: $855M.

FY26 Targeted Support Funding: $230M.

FY26 Stability Funding: $74M.
An increase of $707 per pupil to the DCPS student base weight.

$20.7 million dedicated towards supplemental federal Title I and Title II funds.

$6.9 million for the new five-year Strategic Plan: Capital Commitment 2023-2028.

Yes. But DCPS is tricky. They include instructional superintendents and cluster supports as “school costs”. Not central office costs. DCPS could really use a good scrubbing down but not this way.

This! If you look at the DCPS budget there are all sorts of things that get counted as school costs, but are actually done and managed at Central 'on behalf of' the schools. A lot of those things would not be things schools would choose on their own!