WASHINGTON (7News) — The D.C. City Council held a public oversight hearing Wednesday where they questioned budget challenges facing the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS).
Despite a $192 million increase in funding for the 2025 fiscal year, more than half of the city’s public schools are experiencing budget cuts or staff reductions. The hearing, led by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, sought to understand the financial pressures driving these cuts, including rising operational costs and the exhaustion of federal COVID relief funds.
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DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee testified that while funding has increased, the costs associated with running the schools have also risen sharply.
"The cost of doing business in many areas has substantially increased," Ferebee explained, attributing the financial strain to higher salaries, food costs, technology needs, and security expenses.
A significant factor in the budget squeeze is the end of the federal COVID-19 relief program, which had allocated $303 million to D.C. schools. School expense records show some of the money spent on non-traditional expenses, including renting out a stadium for graduation ceremonies, purchasing picnic tables, sports equipment and landscaping supplies -- including manure.
The hearing also touched on longstanding concerns about contracting oversight within DCPS, including past issues with vendors past and present.
