Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee released the text of a minibus appropriations bill combining funding for Defense, Labor–HHS–Education, and Transportation–HUD. The House is expected to pass the bill on Thursday or Friday of this week, with Senate action anticipated next week before the January 30 deadline.
The bill allocates $79 billion for the U.S. Department of Education, including slight increases for Title I and the Individual with Disabilities Act. Most other K–12 programs receive level funding. The attached funding chart from NAfME provides a full breakdown. Notably, the bill also requires the Department of Education to release state grant funding on time-specifically July 1 for FY 2026 and October 1 for the advance FY 2027 funding. In the current political climate, this represents a best‑case outcome.
In addition, the bill addresses several key policy concerns. It attempts to prevent the Department of Education from withholding or delaying funds as occurred last year, when approximately $7 billion in K–12 funding was delayed. In her statement, Senate Appropriations Ranking Member Patty Murray noted that the bill "includes new measures to ensure the Department of Education makes formula grants available to states and districts on time, preventing funding from being withheld and creating chaos for students, teachers, and families."
The bill also touches on the Department of Education's proposed interagency agreements that would shift administrative responsibilities for most federal K–12 and higher education programs to the Departments of Labor, Interior, and State. While the minibus does not block these agreements outright, it includes language that may limit their implementation. One provision prohibits the transfer of funds between departments without Congressional authorization-potentially preventing the Department of Labor from taking over distribution of K–12 Title allocations.
The Joint Legislative Report accompanying the bill emphasizes that no statutory authority exists for the Department of Education to transfer core responsibilities to other agencies. It further expresses concern that such transfers could create inefficiencies, increase taxpayer costs, delay funding to states and districts, and weaken federal protections for students and families under existing education laws.
Send a message to Congress today to support the minibus bill and ensure that federal education programs remain within the Department of Education. Please share!
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Joshua Streeter
Educational Theatre Association
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