According to a Labor Day news release, U.S. House Republicans are considering a $5.2 billion cut (27%) reduction in Title I funding for low-income schools and districts under a fiscal year 2026 (FY26) proposal. The proposal would cut overall funding for the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), including K-12 and higher education programs, by 15% below the current budget of $78.7 billion, to $67 billion.
The House will now need to debate and approve the funding plan and then align its proposal with the Senate’s version. In July, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bipartisan bill that would fund the Education Department at $79 billion in FY 26, a slight increase to current spending.
It is important to note that the House proposal would not consolidate current competitive formula funding grant programs into one formula grant program — an approach included in President Donald Trump’s budget proposal.
Congress must finalize the budget by the start of FY 2026 on October 1st. If that deadline isn’t met, there could be a federal government shutdown
Further, although the House GOP proposal for FY 26 would provide slight increases for special education ($26 million), charter schools ($60 million), and career and technical education state grants ($25 million), in addition to the Title I funding reduction, other K-12 programs are targeted for elimination include teacher training programs, full-service community schools, and English Language Acquisition programs
For more from K-12 Dive click here.