There has been a lot discussed since the debut of the “Skinny Budget” proposal for 2026. I have had a lot of administrators and teachers reach out to try to get some clarification on what it means for our classrooms. Let me try to break it down for you as best I can to give you some insights in handling your budgets and things you may expect to see down the road.
First, let me share with you a qualification of this budget proposal. Anytime that educational funding is discussed on a federal level for a given calendar year, that budget actually takes effect July 1, 2026, at the beginning of the new academic year (2026-27). I have had a lot of groups concerned that if this is passed, it would directly affect buildings beginning on January 1. While that is not the case, we still want to be aware that cuts could still be made to the academic year of 2025-26. So, we want to make sure that we are planning our budgets with protections for more cuts. We will have a better idea of potential cuts by October 1, 2025, for the upcoming academic year when the budget funds are formally released to the schools.
Many of the readers of this blog are focused on what will happen with IDEA funding. At this point, IDEA funding is to remain at current levels. While that sounds positive, and is to a degree, right now, there is something that we definitely want to keep our eyes on moving forward.
One of the discussions in the background of this budget is how federal funds will be distributed out to the states. There is a proposal that would change the structure of how all federal funds are distributed. This would effectively be a “grant program” going out to the states as part of what is being referred to as a “single funding stream.” That would allow the states to then determine how the funding would be allocated. There is a concern that some states might choose to decline IDEA funds and look to use the funds from the stream to support special education under their own guidelines. We will want to keep on top of that discussion for certain.
For the moment, it appears that Head Start funding will also not be changing. The concern with Head Start, as some of you are already aware, is that 5 out of the 10 regional support offices were closed when the government did their cuts. This has caused a disruption in having questions answered as well as causing some delays in funding being processed. We hope to see the funding maintained and have a return to timely support for our programs.
Title I funding has brought a significant amount of questions to me. As it is written, it appears that Title I funds will remain intact. This bodes well for our students and school communities that utilize those funds for a variety of purposes. The concern lies in the fact that in a separate area of the budget, there is a proposal to eliminate two grants that support migrant students. There is also no mention of the state grant for literacy instruction. These will be areas that might reduce some of the funding we are seeing in Title I.
So where are the current cuts hitting if those areas are as stable as possible? Title III funding is on the block to be cut. The Teacher Quality Partnership grant is also in that same boat. Title II is in limbo as the specifics within that grant are being reviewed. There are many other programs that are being reviewed to be either combined into a single funding lane or eliminated entirely. There is one area where the recommended budget actually sees an increase and that is with our Charter Schools.
What does this all mean for education? I wish I had a specific answer for you. One thing that I can share is that it will take some time to see how things begin to move. Much of what we have heard over the last few months does tie into the suggestions for this budget. We will probably begin to see a streamlining of the funding as it is sent to the States for distribution. Within this streamlined model, the States would have significant say in how the funding is to be used and who can actually receive it. Overall, it could mean a reduction in funding for some districts over the next few years.
How can we better prepare for these adjustments? My first suggestion is for districts to work on identifying how they are using their federal funds and look at alternatives moving forward. We know that some districts use that funding as a critical support for their students. Are there any other avenues to replace some of the funding which might be lost? I recently spoke with a district CFO who shared that he was working with his administration across all buildings to see how they could take state and local funding and use those funds for more. He shared that they were looking at how some of his Title I classrooms were looking at stocking up on supplies and materials now. They were also taking a hard look at class sizes as well. None of these are easy decisions or choices we wish to make. He left me with an interesting thought in saying, “We learned so much about how we could change the educational environment during COVID. Now, can we apply some of the positive things we learned to continue to provide solid educational programming in the face of budget reductions.”
As you start taking a look at what you can do, think about ideas around getting the devices and materials which will benefit the most students and the greatest number of environments. As you wrap up this academic year, plan out the first quarter and how that might flow for yourself and your students.
I have had some administrators ask what they should be doing over the summer. The first suggestion is the most important one. In my work on mental health, almost all of the professionals are telling educators and administrators alike to take at least one week of staying away from anything that deals with school. Whether it be taking a vacation, doing a project around the house, or staying busy with family events, do not think or address anything from school. Administrators, I know that is not as easy as it sounds. However, we have to take that time to recharge. We are surrounded by continued uncertainty. Unless we have given ourselves a break, we cannot be our most effective in supporting those students and staff in our school community. Take that time for yourself as we will all need to be ready for what is coming in education.