FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2025
Media Contact:
Jason Amos
media@nsba.org
National School Boards Association Statement on Bipartisan FY26 Education Spending Agreement
Alexandria, Va. — Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, Executive Director and CEO of the National School Boards Association (NSBA), issued the following statement today regarding the bipartisan agreement reached by congressional appropriators on the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill:
“The National School Boards Association applauds congressional appropriators for reaching a bipartisan agreement that prioritizes stability and investment in our nation’s public schools.
“We are particularly encouraged that this agreement preserves the integrity of the U.S. Department of Education. By including explicit language that prevents the unauthorized transfer of the Department’s statutory duties to other agencies, Congress has acted to protect the essential expertise and civil rights protections that only a dedicated education agency can provide.
“By protecting funding for Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this bill ensures that critical resources for our most vulnerable students remain intact. We are pleased that Congress rejected proposals to consolidate these programs into block grants or implement deep cuts that would have devastated local school budgets. Maintaining this baseline funding is essential for districts to provide the mental health support, literacy interventions, and special education services our students require.
“On behalf of the nation’s local school board members, I urge Congress to move swiftly to pass this legislation before the January 30 deadline. Our schools need the certainty of this funding to plan for the upcoming school year and to ensure that each child has the opportunity to learn in a safe and supportive environment.”
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Founded in 1940, the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) purpose is to ensure each student everywhere has access to excellent and equitable public education governed by high-performing school board leaders and supported by the community. With members spread across the United States, the Virgin Islands, and Canada, NSBA is the only national organization representing school boards. Along with its member state associations and member public school districts representing locally elected school board officials serving millions of public school students, NSBA believes that public education is a civil right necessary to the dignity and freedom of the American people and that each child, regardless of their ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, identity, or citizenship, deserves equitable access to an education that maximizes their individual potential. For more information, visit nsba.org.