Understanding how the District of Columbia (District) funds District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) students and D.C. public charter school students is essential to ensuring all students receive the support they need as COVID-19 pandemic-era federal funds expire.

The recent rise in the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF) and the boost in the charter schools facilities allotment are positive changes that will help cover higher costs, especially those from more staff, salary increases, and bonuses. While these increases benefit both DCPS and charter schools, there are still differences in how some costs are handled. 

Resource Realities: A Comparative Analysis of Charter and District School Funding in Washington, D.C. unpacks the differences and similarities in funding for DCPS and charter schools. It also aims to clarify the impact of these funding differences on schools’ operational capabilities, resource allocation, and the educational experiences they provide.  

Our analysis surfaced six recommendations for the District’s education leaders and policymakers looking to support funding parity between charter schools and DCPS: 

1. Prioritize flowing funding through the UPSFF instead of creating new local funding streams to create parity between DCPS and charter schools.   
2. Increase the charter per-pupil facilities allowance further to either be on par with the annual allocation for DCPS or at least address the gap between the allowance and expenses.  
3. Broaden the definition of eligible staff for charter teacher pay raises to ensure parity between DCPS and charter schools. 
4. Consider options for addressing gaps in retirement contributions, such as including supplemental funding or support mechanisms for charter school retirement plans.   
5. Strengthen transparency in funding decisions and document the rationale where there are differences in accessibility to local funding streams.
6. Make data accessible to enable thoughtful public dialogue and policy development and to increase transparency.

You can read the Executive Summary of the report here.