School Year 2025-2026 (FY26) Archives
FY26 Summary
In FY26, DCPS further refined the budgeting requirements of FY25 to ensure schools budgeted sufficient teaching staff, maintained year over year budget stability, and budgeted enough additional compensation for programming. Schools were provided enough flexible funds to budget for general education classroom teachers in alignment with the CBA. Additionally, DCPS replaced the former stability mechanism known as stabilization with the sustainability fund which ensured that schools’ initial allocations allowed them to afford their prior year classroom ratios through changes to enrollment as well as increased position costs. As part of an agency focus on fiscal stewardship, schools were required to maintain 75% of their FY24 local administrative premium and 50% of their local overtime expenditures as part of their submitted budget. Some positions and programmatic expenses moved from Central Services to school budgets, as outlined in the budget guide pdf below.
After school budgets were submitted by Principals, but prior to the approval of the Mayor’s overall city budget, the DC Council allocated $4.9M of Schools First in Budgeting dollars to schools identified as having a funding gap per the Schools First in Budgeting Act. 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.
FY26 Initial, Submitted, and Amended Budgets
Worksheets
You can find FY26 Initial, Submitted, and Amended budget worksheets.
Power BI
You can find FY26 school budget initial allocation data visualized through Microsoft Power BI–Local data is here.
Budget Development Guide
Download the budget guide for FY26 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 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 sustainability funds | Ensured that schools could maintain enrollment adjusted buying power amid rising costs |
FY26 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 |
FY26 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 | 1 Foreman, 1 RW-5, and 1 RW-3 at every school | Additional RW-3s allocated based on school enrollment and square footage. High schools receive a base of 2 RW-3s |
FY26 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%. At Opportunity Academies, eligible populations for the at-risk concentration allocation are the projected alternative students. |
| 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 $11,520 in administrative premium and $3,100 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. |
| Opportunity Academy funding | Opportunity Academies | Opportunity Academies (Ballou STAY, Garnet-Patterson STAY, and Luke Moore HS) receive fully flexible allocations at the same rate as the per-pupil At-Risk UPSFF amount. The Opportunity Academy Weight is a local allocation that is separate from the funding provided through the UPSFF student weights that are required by law. |
| 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. Funds required for the MOU with DPR and supply funds are budgeted at the individual school level. Similarly, 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. Administrative premium and NPS dollars supporting operations and experiences will be managed centrally. |
| Sixth Grade Academy | Select Middle Schools | Schools are allocated a Sixth Grade Academy Assistant Principal, administrative premium and non-personnel dollars relative to their size to fund the academy. Administrative premium and NPS dollars supporting operations and experiences will be managed centrally. |
| 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. |
| 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). The per-pupil amount is determined based on the overall expected grant award. |
| Title II | All Schools | Title II funds are allocated to both Title I and 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 & Custodial Supplies | 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. Custodial Supplies are allocated based on square footage |
| 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. |
FY26 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.
| ELC (PK3-PK4) | ES (PK-5) | PK-8 | MS | HS | EC2 | River Terrace | |
| Teacher – General Education (ratios shown by grade as students: teacher) | N/A (ELC staff directly allocated) | K-2 20:1 3-5 25:1 | K-2 20:1 3-8 25:1 | 6-8 25:1 | 9-12 25:1 | 6-12 25:1 | N/A (SPED staff directly allocated) |
| Assistant Principal | 1 Assistant Principal | 1 Assistant Principal for 400 students | 1 Assistant Principal for 400 students | 1 Assistant Principal | 1 Assistant Principal | 1 Assistant Principal for 400 students | 1 Assistant Principal |
| Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach |
| Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk |
| Teacher – Related Arts | Enrollment up to 399: 3 FTEs Enrollment 400-599: 4.5 FTEs Enrollment above 600: 5.5 FTEs | Enrollment up to 399: 3 FTEs Enrollment 400-599: 4.5 FTEs Enrollment above 600: 5.5 FTEs | Enrollment up to 399: 3 FTEs Enrollment 400-599: 4.5 FTEs Enrollment above 600: 5.5 FTEs | Enrollment up to 399: 3 FTEs Enrollment 400-599: 4.5 FTEs Enrollment above 600: 5.5 FTEs | None | (Grades 6-8 only) Enrollment up to 399: 3 FTEs Enrollment 400-599: 4.5 FTEs Enrollment above 600: 5.5 FTEs | None |
What is it?
- An assurance that student-based funds (Mark and Ella) can afford a baseline level of services for all schools based on school type/size
What is it not?
- A direct allocation of items
- A guarantee that schools are budgeting these positions in this manner (where program requirements is important)
- The only way schools receive funding. Schools can budget for these and more positions using other funding streams
School Sustainability Fund (formerly Stabilization)
Schools receive sustainability funding to maintain an initial allocation amount that aligns with their prior year amended budget to ensure they can afford the appropriate number of classroom teachers in FY26. Sustainability funding is calculated by comparing schools’ FY26 formulaic budgets to their FY25 amended budgets (including any additional funds allocated by DC Council) inflated for increased costs and adjusted based on year-over-year changes to enrollment.
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) | $130,752 | $7,972 | $138,724 |
| WTU 11mo | $144,431 | $7,972 | $152,404 |
| WTU 12mo | $161,770 | $7,972 | $169,743 |
| Administrative Officer | $118,616 | $5,822 | $124,438 |
| Afterschool Coordinator | $120,243 | $5,822 | $126,065 |
| Aide – Administrative | $74,759 | $5,095 | $79,854 |
| Aide – Computer Lab | $69,256 | $5,095 | $74,351 |
| Aide – Instructional – Year Round (80hr) | $48,248 | $5,095 | $53,343 |
| Aide – Library/Technology | $51,158 | $5,095 | $56,253 |
| Aides, Instructional (10mo) | $40,148 | $5,095 | $45,243 |
| Assistant – Strategy & Logistics (ASL) | $73,887 | $5,095 | $78,982 |
| Assistant Principals | $183,714 | $5,822 | $189,536 |
| Athletic Director | $169,103 | $5,822 | $174,925 |
| Attendance Counselor | $70,750 | $4,859 | $75,609 |
| Behavior Technician | $59,667 | $5,095 | $64,762 |
| Business Manager | $101,458 | $5,822 | $107,280 |
| Clerk | $53,912 | $5,095 | $59,007 |
| Coordinator, Computer Lab/Technology and Parent | $60,521 | $3,415 | $63,936 |
| Coordinator – In-School Suspension (ISS) | $73,490 | $5,095 | $78,585 |
| Coordinator – Strategy & Logistics (CSL) | $117,620 | $5,9822 | $123,442 |
| Custodial Foreman | $82,867 | $4,859 | $87,726 |
| Custodian (RW-3) | $51,946 | $4,859 | $56,805 |
| Custodian (RW-5) | $59,612 | $4,859 | $64,471 |
| Dean of Students | $138,274 | $5,822 | $144,096 |
| Directors | $169,103 | $5,822 | $174,925 |
| Program Coordinators | $131,567 | $5,822 | $137,389 |
| Program Managers | $143,149 | $5,822 | $148,971 |
| Registrar | $61,348 | $5,095 | $66,443 |
| City Teaching Alliance Resident | $46,402 | $5,095 | $51,498 |
| Restorative Justice Coordinator | $131,567 | $5,822 | $137,389 |
| Specialist – Transition | $129,397 | $5,822 | $135,219 |
| Teacher – Vocational Ed (12mo) | $105,223 | $7,972 | $113,195 |
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.
| FY26 WTU Add-Ons | |||
| Description | Line Item | FY26 Cost per WTU | FY26 Budget |
| Mutual Consent Excessing Options | Extra Year Option | $55 | $316,800 |
| Mutual Consent Excessing Options | Buyout Option | $4 | $25,000 |
| IMPACT Bonuses | IMPACT Bonuses | $2,911.85 | $26,600,000 |
| Background Checks | Drug & Alcohol Testing | $27.37 | $250,000 |
| Background Checks | Fingerprinting Screen | $76.63 | $700,000 |
| Background Checks | Fitness for Duty/FMLA Verification | $2.49 | $22,712 |
| Employee Support | Start-Up Supplies | $254 | $1,475,000 |
| Employee Support | ADA Accommodations | $79.04 | $722,000 |
| Employee Support | WTU Tuition Reimbursement | $14 | $80,000 |
| Employee Support | International Visas | $5 | $27,000 |
| Employee Support | Employee Assistance Services | $10.34 | $94,500 |
| Stipends | DINR Bonus | $34 | $200,000 |
| Stipends | Department Chair Stipends | $108 | $625,000 |
| Stipends | Hard To Fill Stipends | $603 | $3,500,000 |
| Stipends | Key Duties Stipends | $327 | $1,900,000 |
| School-Based Costs | Substitutes | $2,671 | $15,500,000 |
| School-Based Costs | Enrollment Reserve | $306.51 | $2,800,000 |
| School-Based Costs | Backfill | $482 | $2,800,000 |
| Add-Ons | $7,972 | ||
| FY26 AFSCME Add-Ons | ||
| Description | FY26 Cost per AFSCME | FY26 Budget |
| IMPACT Bonuses | $2,911.85 | $26,600,000 |
| Drug & Alcohol Testing | $27.37 | $250,000 |
| Fingerprinting Screen | $76.63 | $700,000 |
| Fitness for Duty/FMLA Verification | $2.49 | $22,712 |
| ADA Accommodations | $79.04 | $722,000 |
| Employee Assistance Services | $10.54 | $94,500 |
| Enrollment Reserve | $306.51 | $2,800,000 |
| Legal Fund | $27 | $50,000 |
| Metro Pass | $43 | $80,000 |
| Educational Aides as Subs | $1,611 | $3,000,000 |
| Total Add-Ons | $5,095 | $34,319,212 |
| FY26 CSO Add-Ons | ||
| Description | FY26 Cost per CSO | FY26 Budget |
| IMPACT Bonuses | $2,911.85 | $26,600,000 |
| Drug & Alcohol Testing | $27.37 | $250,000 |
| Fingerprinting Screen | $76.63 | $700,000 |
| Fitness for Duty/FMLA Verification | $2.49 | $22,712 |
| ADA Accommodations | $79.04 | $722,000 |
| Employee Assistance Services | $10.34 | $94,500 |
| Enrollment Reserve | $306.51 | $2,800,000 |
| Professional Development | $160 | $130,000 |
| Start-Up Supplies | $210 | $170,000 |
| Extra Duty Stipend for Principals and APs | $2,037 | $1,650,000 |
| Total Add-Ons | $5,822 | $33,139,212 |
| FY26 Teamsters Add-Ons | ||
| Description | FY26 Cost per Teamster | FY26 Budget |
| IMPACT Bonuses | $2,911.85 | $26,600,000 |
| Drug & Alcohol Testing | $27.37 | $250,000 |
| Fingerprinting Screen | $76.63 | $700,000 |
| Fitness for Duty/FMLA Verification | $2.49 | $22,712 |
| ADA Accommodations | $79.04 | $722,000 |
| Employee Assistance Services | $10.34 | $94,500 |
| Enrollment Reserve | $306.51 | $2,800,000 |
| Transportation | $32 | $20,000 |
| Shift Differential | $1,334 | $845,000 |
| Home Assistance | $79 | $50,000 |
| Total Add-Ons | $4,859 | $32,104,212 |
Agency Budget Data
DCPS is currently in Fiscal Year 2027. Please visit the current agency budget data page for more information.
