URGENT: Advocate for DC Schools to Keep its Funding

[Melissa Martin]

If you are a parent of a child enrolled in DC Charter or DC Public Schools -- please read the following!

Please contact U.S. Senators (or encourage friends and family to do so) within the next 48 hours to oppose a harmful stopgap federal spending bill from House Republicans. As written, this bill would keep the federal government open but restrict DC’s ability to fully spend its locally funded budget for the rest of the year by removing language that allows DC to implement its budget while the full federal budget is pending. The bill has passed the House and is expected to move to the Senate by Friday, March 14.

If passed by the Senate, this bill would cut almost $1.1 billion from DC’s FY25 general fund spending halfway into the fiscal year (a 16% cut to all remaining funds that have not been expended). If that happens, we can expect a reduction in force to all major DC agencies and to social and direct services that our families rely on, including a cut of up to $358 million to DC schools. 

However, here is what you can do in the next 48 hours:

Please email or call Senators, especially Senate leaders, members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and undecided Senators, and ask your friends and family to do so as well to protect DC, especially if they are constituents of key Senators. 

Below is a a sample email and recommend Senate email list (include it on bcc so individuals cannot respond and you do not have to send individual emails).

Thank you for advocating for our students, families, and the DC community at large.

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Senator,

I am a parent with students at XXX Public Charter School in Washington, DC. As a strong parent of DC schools, I urge you to oppose the stopgap funding bill that does not authorize the District to spend its locally generated revenue at the FY25 levels that the District adopted in July 2024. 

What if YOUR child attended public school here!?

● The stopgap funding bill, as it is currently written, would have a devastating effect on DC’s nearly 100,000 students and 20,000 educators, and stifle public charter schools’ ongoing work to improve math and literacy outcomes for students. 

● Cutting almost $1.1 billion from DC’s FY25 general fund spending halfway into the fiscal year would undercut our ability to serve DC’s students and pay its teachers – schools would need to reduce staff and would likely be unable to meet major financial obligations that were budgeted for with the current funding levels. 

● If this stopgap bill passes, DC schools would face $166 million in immediate, mid-year funding cuts. The effects of these cuts would be devastating to the workforce of teachers and consequently to the education of all students across the city. Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter and for prioritizing DC students, families, residents, workers, and the community at large.   

Sincerely,

NAME

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terry_...@mcconnell.senate.gov, garret...@murkowski.senate.gov, richar...@lgraham.senate.gov, james...@moran.senate.gov, tony_e...@hoeven.senate.gov, toni-mari...@boozman.senate.gov, jt_jez...@capito.senate.gov, nathan...@kennedy.senate.gov, doug_...@hydesmith.senate.gov, clay_ar...@britt.senate.gov, steve_...@collins.senate.gov, dezmon...@rounds.senate.gov, emily_...@fischer.senate.gov, adam_...@hagerty.senate.gov, pat_s...@durbin.senate.gov, mindi_l...@murray.senate.gov, CR-VOT, alison_m...@shaheen.senate.gov, carly_va...@merkley.senate.gov, brian_...@coons.senate.gov, reema...@schatz.senate.gov, ken_...@baldwin.senate.gov, allison...@murphy.senate.gov, tricia_...@vanhollen.senate.gov, rebecca...@heinrich.senate.gov, caitlyn_s...@peters.senate.gov, j...@gillibrand.senate.gov, reynaldo...@ossoff.senate.gov