Facing a revised revenue estimate that dropped by about 3%, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a 2.74% increase in per-student funding for DC's public education system. According to the Mayor's Office release, this raises the uniform per student funding formula (UPSFF) to $15,070, supporting an estimated 101,000 students for the upcoming school year.
This move follows last year’s 12.4% UPSFF increase, which helped raise salaries for teachers in both DC Public Schools and public charter schools. "The improvements in academic achievement and the gains that we’ve been able to make in our schools didn’t happen by accident – they happened because our residents have invested in a strong and robust public education system," Mayor Bowser said in the same release. "So, 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."
Over the past decade, local funding for schools has doubled from $1.4 billion to $2.8 billion. These investments have helped make teachers in DC among the best-compensated in the country, contributing to improved student achievement, including higher graduation rates and better National Assessment of Educational Progress scores. The teacher retention rate stands at 81%.
Along with this funding increase, the DC Public School system released its initial budget for fiscal year 2026. DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee emphasized that the budget will focus on classroom teachers. "As we prepare to sustain the momentum that has seen DCPS students rank first in the nation for the fastest post-pandemic recovery growth in both reading and math, our FY 2026 budget reflects a clear classroom teacher focus," Dr. Ferebee said in the release. The budget details for each of DCPS's 117 schools can be found on dcpsbudget.com as part of Mayor Bowser's FY 2026 proposed budget.
