DC Charter School Alliance Calls for Equitable School Funding

Washington, DC –– Following the release of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposal to increase the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF) by 2.74 percent in her FY 2026 budget and fund teacher pay outside of the formula, DC Charter School Alliance Executive Director Ariel Johnson released the following statement:

“We appreciate that the fiscal outlook for the District is deeply challenging, and we are concerned about the implications for DC residents, especially our most vulnerable neighbors. However, equitable funding across public schools and putting all funding through the UPSFF has been a hallmark of our education system. We look forward to working with the Mayor and Council to ensure the final budget proposal reflects these values and includes funding that enables all public school students to thrive and all educators to be fairly compensated,” said Johnson. 

DC public charter schools serve nearly half of all public school students, from age 3 through adult across 68 non-profit organizations that run 134 schools. More than 90% of students who choose to attend public charter schools are people of color, 10% are English-language learners, and 60% are economically disadvantaged.