The House majority has released its Fiscal Year 2026 education funding bill, and the message to America's children is unmistakable: public schools don't matter. The proposal slashes $12.1 billion – a staggering 15% – from K-12 public education, even as it handshalf a billion dollars to charter start-ups and expansions.
“This bill disregards the needs of American children who depend on their public schools,” said Carol Burris, Executive Director of the Network for Public Education (NPE), a national public school advocacy organization. “At a time when students need more support, not less, House leaders are pulling the rug out from under them.”
The proposed cuts target the very programs that provide opportunity:
— Title I:Cut by 27%. This funding supports remedial reading and math for children, especially those in high-poverty schools across both urban and rural communities.
— English Language Acquisition Grants:Eliminated entirely, stripping services from millions of English learners.
— Title II-A (Teacher Training and Support):Zeroed out, undermining professional growth and recruitment at a time of national teacher shortages.
— Full-Service Community Schools:Defunded, leaving families without essential services that strengthen schools and neighborhoods.
And how do House leaders justify this devastation? By claiming,”Despite outsized investment, America's public schools continue to fail children and families.”
“That's what they think of your neighborhood school-a bad investment,” Burris continued. “This is not fiscal prudence. It is a calculated political attack on our public schools, while increasing funding to open new charter schools to half a billion dollars a year. “
NPE warns that the consequences will be catastrophic. Class size will increase. Support for struggling students will diminish. Inequities will deepen. Rural and high-need communities will be hit hardest, as lifeline programs are dismantled.
“This budget does not reflect the values of a nation that believes in opportunity for all,” said Diane Ravitch, President of NPE. “Public funds belong in public schools – not funneled to charter operators while the vast majority of students are left behind.”
The Network for Public Education Action joins NPE, its sister organization, and calls on Congress to reject this reckless proposal and fully fund public schools, encouraging them to call and to write to their representative. “Budgets reflect priorities,” Burris concluded. “If Congress passes this bill, it is saying to America's families: your children don't count.”
Contact:Carol Burriscburris@networkforpubliceducation.org(646) 678-4477
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SOURCE Network for Public Education
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