In addition to the release of the remaining $5 billion of impounded Federal school funding for this year, we saw very surprising but welcome action in the U.S. Senate budget process regarding school funding for  next year (FY 2026). Amazingly, all but one of the Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee with jurisdiction over education (Labor, Health & Education Subcommittee), joined in a bipartisan rejection of nearly all of President Trump’s proposed $12 billion cuts to education that would impact school budgets a year from now. In fact, the bill slightly increases several programs, while implementing very small reductions on others. In all, it represents a stunning rejection by the Republican led Senate to the plan of the Administration to cut education spending and shut down the U.S. Department of Education. Among the very modest increases are Title I and the Individual with Disabilities Education Act ($50 million each), Rural Education (which would get a small 2.3 percent increase), and Charter Schools.

The bill also contains language that requires on-time funding for state formula grants, including homeless education, special education, Perkins Act (CTE) programs, and adult education. Specifically, it says funding must be distributed “on the date such funds become available for obligation.” This is obviously in direct response to the Administration’s withholding of almost $7 billion in education state grants on July 1. Speaking to the potential of moving Title I or Special Education away from the U.S. Department of Education, language approved by the committee would bar the use of any funds to transfer these programs out of the department to other departments or agencies of the Federal government and requires the Department to maintain sufficient staffing “to fulfill its statutory responsibilities.”

The bill also maintains level funding for most other programs, including several large programs the President’s FY 2026 proposal would eliminate such as the 21 ^st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool programs, Migrant Education, English Language Acquisition, Title IV-A, and adult education. The House of Representatives version of the education budget isn’t so generous and would go along with all of the President’s cuts and even beyond that by a small amount. The stage is set for a big fight over the next six weeks as Congressional leaders in both houses try to avoid a government shutdown. We certainly didn’t expect the strong bipartisan opposition to budget cuts in the Senate and this will certainly impact the outcome of any budget package that ultimately moves forward. Fingers crossed!!