School Year 2024-2025 (FY25) Archives
FY25 Summary
With inflation on the rise and the end of the federal ESSER funds, DCPS faced a tough budgeting year in preparing for FY25. Schools saw higher position costs, primarily in WTU and CSO positions, to account for increases in salaries and additional compensation. Schools became entirely responsible for budgeting the $60/hour administrative premium rate, which was set by a collective bargaining agreement between WTU and DCPS. Select positions and programmatic expenses moved from Central Services to school budgets, as outlined in the budget guide pdf below. To support schools in making difficult budget decisions, DCPS shared Guiding Principles for Navigating Budget Pressures, which included budget guidance for different position categories.
After school budgets were submitted by Principals, but prior to the approval of the Mayor’s overall city budget, the DC Council allocated $25.5M of Schools First in Budgeting dollars to schools identified as having a funding gap per the Schools First in Budgeting Act. The DC Council also allocated $3.54M to schools serving elementary aged students in Wards 7 and 8 to address critical needs by providing tailored personnel funding. Schools were provided dollars as part of the approved budget and schools budgeted them over the summer as part of the summer reprogramming.
School Budget Data
Downloadable Spreadsheet
Download an Excel spreadsheet with the FY25 initial, submitted, and amended budgets broken into 3 tabs.
FY25 Initial, Submitted, and Amended Budgets
Worksheets
You can find FY25 Initial, Submitted, and Amended budget worksheets.
Power BI
You can find FY25 school budget data visualized through Microsoft Power BI–Local data is here. Grants data is here.
Budget Development Guide
Download the budget guide for FY25 development. Provides budgeting guidance and recommendations on allocations and programs included on school budgets.
How Schools Are Funded
DCPS’ School Funding Model distributes funds to schools based on their student and staff projections, with additional targeted support provided for students with greater need, while ensuring that schools are provided stability during year-over-year enrollment transitions. Funds are allocated in four distinct ways:
| Allocation Method | Description | Strategic Purpose |
| Student-Based Funds | Dollar allocation based on student enrollment and demographics. See Model Base Weights below. | Ensures that dollars follow students based on student need, promoting transparency and school empowerment |
| Staffing Ratios | Staff allocated based on enrollment | Ensures that essential services such as SPED and ML (formerly ELL) instruction are adequately resourced, leveraging the deep expertise of central office program teams |
| Program Grants | Staff or dollars allocated as grants for select programs or school attributes | Ensures that schools can afford signature programs and receive supplemental allocations for high student needs (e.g. IB funding, at-risk funding) |
| Stability Funds | Safety net checks and stabilization funds to protect schools from fluctuating enrollment | Ensures that schools, despite year-to-year enrollment changes, can meet unique demographic and programmatic needs, in line with DCPS’ north star of excellence |
FY25 Model Base Weights (Student-Based Funds)
| Category | Description | Weight | Weight Amount |
| Base Amount | Provided for each non-PK student | 1.0 | $7,180 |
| Early Childhood Education | Provided for each PK-3 and PK-4 student | 0.3 | $2,154 |
| K-8 Education Campus | Provided for each K-8 student at Education Campuses | 0.25 | $1,795 |
| Multilingual Learner (formerly English Language Leaner) | Provided for each student designated as Multilingual Learner | 0.3 | $2,154 |
| Special Education | Provided for each student receiving special education services | 0.3 | $2,154 |
| At-Risk greater than 40% | Provided for number of students above 40% of at-risk compared to total enrollment | 0.2 | $1,436 |
| At-Risk Secondary greater than 70% | Provided for number of grade 6-12 students above 70% of at-risk compared to total enrollment | 0.2 | $1,436 |
| Early Learning Center (ELC) | Provided for each student at Military Road and Stevens Early Learning Center | 0.85 | $6,103 |
| Special Education Campus | Provided for each student at River Terrace Special Education Campus | 0.45 | $3,231 |
FY25 Staffing Ratios
| Staff | Ratio | Additional Information |
| Principal | 1 at every school | Exceptions: Military Road, Stevens ELC, McKinley MS & McKinley Tech HS, Peabody ES, Watkins ES |
| Early Childhood Education | 1 teacher and 1 aide for every 16 PK3 students and 20 PK4 students | 1 teacher and 1 aide for every 17 students in Mixed Age (PK3/PK4) classrooms |
| Multilingual Learners | 1 teacher for every 22 ML students; 0.5 teacher for 11-16 ML students. Secondary schools receive 1.0 ML teachers if between 11-16. | 1 aide allocated for every 50 ML Level 1 students |
| Special Education Staff | Staff allocated based on programmatic need | See budget guide for more information |
| School Counselors | 1 for every 400 middle school student, 1 for every 250 high school student | Allocations are rounded up to the nearest 0.5 (e.g., a middle school with 600 students receives 1.5 Guidance Counselors) |
| Librarians | 1 at every school | 1 additional at Columbia Heights EC and Oyster-Adams EC to cover each library building |
| Psychologists & Social Workers | Staff allocated based on programmatic need | See budget guide for more information |
| Custodial Staff & Supplies | 1 Foreman, 1 RW-5, and 1 RW-3 at every school Supplies are allocated based on square footage | Additional RW-3s allocated based on school enrollment and square footage. High schools receive a base of 2 RW-3s |
FY25 Program Grants
| Program Grant | School Type | Allocation Methodology |
| Afterschool (Title IV-B-funded) | Select Title I ES and K-8 Schools | Administrative premium funds are allocated based on the number of seats available in the program. Seats are determined based on prior year after-school enrollment and attendance, demand for additional seats, and the capacity of a school program provider to serve additional students. |
| At-Risk UPSFF (including Overage at HS) | All Schools | DCPS allocates 90% of the at-risk UPSFF grant amount allocated to the district. Schools receive a per-pupil dollar allocation for every at-risk student projected based on the UPSFF allocation to DCPS. |
| At-Risk UPSFF Concentration | Schools Above 40% At-Risk | Schools with at least 40% at-risk students projected receive a per-pupil amount that is 7% of the UPSFF base amount for each student over 40%. Schools with at least 70% at-risk student projected receive an additional 7% of the UPSFF base amount for each student over 70%. This is additive for schools with at least 70% at-risk students projected. In total, they receive 14% of the UPSFF base amount for each student over 70%. |
| CTE & NAF | Select High Schools | CTE teachers are allocated to high schools so that they may maintain programming. NAF personnel are allocated based on the needs and size of the schools’ NAF academies. |
| Credit Recovery | Select High Schools | Funding allocations are based on size of school, number of failures and anticipated course recovery needs, and program and funding usage during the prior year. |
| Dual Language | Select Schools | Schools are allocated per-pupil dollar amounts based on the number of ML and at-risk ML students. The amounts are different between “1-way” and “2-way” programs. See the budget guide for more information. |
| Global Studies | Select Schools | Global Studies schools are allocated 1 Coordinator and $3,000 in non-personnel dollars for programming. |
| International Baccalaureate (IB) | Select Schools | Schools are allocated 1 Coordinator per program and varying amounts of non-personnel dollars for the program depending on their programmatic need for PD, subscriptions, etc. |
| JROTC (DoD-funded) | Select High Schools | Schools are allocated at least 2 JROTC instructors to lead programming. |
| Pool Programming | Select Schools | High schools with pools used for DCPS pool programming, Marie Reed ES, and River Terrace EC are allocated required aquatic teachers and specialists, the funds required for the MOU with DPR, and supply funds. Schools part of grade 3 swim programming are allocated a locked lump sum of dollars that pays for the cost of transportation to the pools, required aquatics staff, and supplies. |
| Ninth Grade Academy | Select Title I High Schools | Schools are allocated a Ninth Grade Academy Assistant Principal, administrative premium, and non-personnel dollars relative to their size to fund the academy. |
| Reading Specialists (Title I-Funded) | Select Elementary Schools | C.W. Harris ES, Langley ES, Moten ES, Patterson ES, Stanton ES, and Thomas ES are allocated one Title I-funded Reading Specialist. |
| Safe & Positive Schools | Select Middle and High Schools | Schools who were approved for the Safe & Positive pilot program in SY21-22 will continue to receive this funding. In FY25, they will receive 75% of their FY24 allocations. |
| School Office Support | All Schools | All schools receive flexible funding in the amount equal to the position cost of an administrative aide. |
| Specialty Payments | Select Schools | Brookland (arts), Banneker HS, SWS HS, Ellington (Specialty HS), Coolidge HS (Trinity Partnership), Bard HS (Early College Partnership), McKinley Tech HS |
| Title I Schoolwide & Parent & Family Engagement | Title I Schools | Title I schools receive a per-pupil amount of funding based on their eligibility percentage (Schoolwide) and projected enrollment (Parent & Family Engagement). Title I schools do receive Title II dollars, but they are combined with Title I as part of their Schoolwide allocations. The per-pupil amount is determined based on the overall expected grant award. |
| Title II | Non-Title I Schools | Title II funds are allocated to non-Title I schools as a per-pupil amount based on projected enrollment. The per-pupil amount is determined based on the overall expected grant award. |
| Total Non-Personnel Services Allocation | All Schools | Schools receive a per-pupil dollar amount for every student in the projected enrollment. From this allocation, the school’s contribution to the library MOU is locked, and individual overtime and administrative premium budgets are pre-budgeted based on historical spending trends. |
| Twilight (Title I-Funded) | Select Title I High Schools | Schools are allocated administrative premium to pay teachers to staff the program. The exact amount of funding available to each school is determined based on past funding usage and projected student need. Students may enroll in Twilight sessions at another school that is not their home school. |
FY25 Stability Funds
Safety Net Supplement
The safety net supplement is provided to schools when the student-based funds do not generate enough dollars to provide a baseline of services by school type. The model calculates the cost of the baseline services at every school based on the individual school’s enrollment and school type. If the amount of student-based funding generated by a school is not enough to afford the safety net, then a school is allocated a “safety net supplement” which is the amount of funding a school would need to afford their safety net. Safety net funds are fully flexible.
Stabilization
Schools receive stabilization funding to maintain an initial allocation amount that is no less than 95% of their prior year submitted budget. In FY25, stabilization was calculated using schools’ FY25 formulaic budget and comparing it to their FY24 submitted budget (March 2023) including any additional funds allocated by DC Council such as additional at-risk concentration and Schools First in Budgeting. These funds are fully flexible and can be used at the principals’ discretion to budget for staff and programming at the school.
Item Catalog
Below is a list of all school-based positions with their costs. Please note that you reach the unit cost by adding together the salary & benefits and administrative add-ons. See the following Administrative Add-ons by Union section to understand their composition.
| Positions | Salary & Benefits | Administrative Add-ons | Unit Cost |
| WTU 10mo (includes teachers) | $126,570 | $7,151 | $133,722 |
| WTU 11mo | $145,797 | $7,151 | $152,949 |
| WTU 12mo | $138,642 | $7,151 | $145,794 |
| Administrative Officer | $115,493 | $5,947 | $121,441 |
| Afterschool Coordinator | $111,515 | $5,947 | $117,463 |
| Aide – Administrative | $70,573 | $4,316 | $74,890 |
| Aide – Computer Lab | $66,139 | $4,316 | $70,456 |
| Aide – Instructional – Year Round (80hr) | $45,486 | $4,316 | $49,804 |
| Aide – Library/Technology | $50,412 | $4,316 | $54,729 |
| Aides, Instructional (10mo) | $38,375 | $4,316 | $42,692 |
| Assistant – Strategy & Logistics (ASL) | $70,201 | $4,316 | $74,518 |
| Assistant Principals | $179,669 | $5,947 | $185,618 |
| Athletic Director | $167,508 | $5,947 | $173,456 |
| Attendance Counselor | $68,615 | $4,717 | $73,334 |
| Behavior Technician | $56,165 | $4,316 | $60,482 |
| Business Manager | $101,068 | $5,947 | $107,017 |
| Clerk | $51,665 | $4,316 | $55,983 |
| Coordinator, Computer Lab/Technology and Parent | $59,360 | $3,441 | $62,802 |
| Coordinator – In-School Suspension (ISS) | $69,638 | $4,136 | $73,955 |
| Coordinator – Strategy & Logistics (CSL) | $114,168 | $5,947 | $120,116 |
| Custodial Foreman | $79,364 | $4,717 | $84,082 |
| Custodian (RW-3) | $49,755 | $4,717 | $54,473 |
| Custodian (RW-5) | $57,750 | $4,717 | $62,468 |
| Dean of Students | $135,026 | $5,947 | $140,974 |
| Directors | $167,508 | $5,947 | $173,456 |
| Program Coordinators | $123,085 | $5,947 | $129,034 |
| Program Managers | $129,012 | $5,947 | $134,960 |
| Registrar | $57,448 | $4,316 | $61,765 |
| Residency, Urban Teacher | $41,392 | $4,316 | $45,709 |
| Resident, Relay Teacher | $38,375 | $4,316 | $42,693 |
| Restorative Justice Coordinator | $115,493 | $5,947 | $121,441 |
| Specialist – Transition | $123,087 | $5,947 | $129,034 |
| Teacher – Vocational Ed (12mo) | $101,602 | $7,151 | $108,755 |
Administrative Add-Ons by Union
In addition to salary and benefits, DCPS added the costs of certain expenses related to each union (e.g., the Washington Teachers’ Union, or WTU; Teamsters) and/or position type to the average salary and benefits. These additional costs are called “hold outs” or “add-ons.” For example, each teacher receives a $250 teacher supply card to purchase classroom supplies as part of the WTU contract. This $250 is added on top of the salary and benefits of every WTU position that is budgeted. Other examples of these add-on items include the costs of employee fingerprinting, ensuring compliance with disability accommodations required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and cost of IMPACT teacher performance bonuses. All item costs are combined into one “add-on.” The total add-on cost varied based on position type since the expenses paid for can differ by union. The total “add on” budget was centrally managed.
| FY25 WTU Add-Ons | |||
| Description | Line Item | FY25 Cost per WTU | FY25 Budget |
| Mutual Consent Excessing Options | Extra Year Option | $55.86 | $316,800 |
| Mutual Consent Excessing Options | Buyout Option | $4.41 | $25,000 |
| IMPACT Bonuses | IMPACT Bonuses | $2,966.46 | $26,600,000 |
| Background Checks | Drug & Alcohol Testing | $25.18 | $225,750 |
| Background Checks | Fingerprinting Screen | $58.02 | $520,250 |
| Background Checks | Fitness for Duty/FMLA Verification | $2.53 | $22,712 |
| Employee Support | Start-Up Supplies | $250.00 | $1,417,753 |
| Employee Support | ADA Accommodations | $65.99 | $591,700 |
| Employee Support | WTU Tuition Reimbursement | $14.11 | $80,000 |
| Employee Support | International Visas | $4.76 | $27,000 |
| Employee Support | Employee Assistance Services | $10.54 | $94,500 |
| Stipends | DINR Bonus | $39.68 | $225,000 |
| Stipends | Department Chair Stipends | $96.98 | $550,000 |
| Stipends | Hard To Fill Stipends | $511.37 | $2,900,000 |
| Stipends | Key Duties Stipends | $564.27 | $3,200,000 |
| School-Based Costs | Substitutes | $1,675.19 | $9,500,000 |
| School-Based Costs | Enrollment Reserve | $312.26 | $2,800,000 |
| School-Based Costs | Backfill | $493.74 | $2,800,000 |
| Add-Ons | $7,151 | ||
| Base Salary | $107,995 | ||
| Salary and Benefits | $126,570 | Benefits Rate = 17.2% of Salary | |
| Total Average Teacher Cost | $133,721 | ||
| FY25 AFSCME Add-Ons | ||
| Description | FY25 Cost per AFSCME | FY25 Budget |
| IMPACT Bonuses | $2,966.46 | $26,600,000 |
| Drug & Alcohol Testing | $25.18 | $225,750 |
| Fingerprinting Screen | $58.02 | $520,250 |
| Fitness for Duty/FMLA Verification | $2.53 | $22,712 |
| ADA Accommodations | $65.99 | $591,700 |
| Employee Assistance Services | $10.54 | $94,500 |
| Enrollment Reserve | $312.26 | $2,800,000 |
| Legal Fund | $26.85 | $50,000 |
| Metro Pass | $42.96 | $80,000 |
| Educational Aides as Subs | $805.41 | $1,500,000 |
| Total Add-Ons | $4,316 | $32,484,912 |
| FY25 CSO Add-Ons | ||
| Description | FY25 Cost per CSO | FY25 Budget |
| IMPACT Bonuses | $2,966.46 | $26,600,000 |
| Drug & Alcohol Testing | $25.18 | $225,750 |
| Fingerprinting Screen | $58.02 | $520,250 |
| Fitness for Duty/FMLA Verification | $2.53 | $22,712 |
| ADA Accommodations | $65.99 | $591,700 |
| Employee Assistance Services | $10.54 | $94,500 |
| Enrollment Reserve | $312.26 | $2,800,000 |
| Professional Development | $170.83 | $130,000 |
| Start-Up Supplies | $200.00 | $152,200 |
| Extra Duty Stipend for Principals and APs | $2,135.35 | $1,625,000 |
| Total Add-Ons | $5,947 | $32,762,112 |
| FY25 Teamsters Add-Ons | ||
| Description | FY25 Cost per Teamster | FY25 Budget |
| IMPACT Bonuses | $2,966.46 | $26,600,000 |
| Drug & Alcohol Testing | $25.18 | $225,750 |
| Fingerprinting Screen | $58.02 | $520,250 |
| Fitness for Duty/FMLA Verification | $2.53 | $22,712 |
| ADA Accommodations | $65.99 | $591,700 |
| Employee Assistance Services | $10.54 | $94,500 |
| Enrollment Reserve | $312.26 | $2,800,000 |
| Transportation | $31.13 | $20,000 |
| Shift Differential | $1,167.32 | $750,000 |
| Home Assistance | $77.82 | $50,000 |
| Total Add-Ons | $4,717 | $31,674,912 |
Agency Budget Data
DCPS is currently in Fiscal Year 2025. Please visit the current agency budget data page for more information.
