ERNA DC Testifies at D.C. State Board of Education on FY26 Budget Priorities for Public Education

Victor Horton
Deputy Director – DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

Greetings President Dr. Jacque Patterson, esteemed members of the D.C. State Board of Education, and community members,

My name is Victor Horton, and I am the Deputy Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy. I am also a Ward 7 resident and former D.C. educator.  Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

First, I want to voice my strong support for State Resolution 24-16, which calls for an end to legacy and donor admissions in D.C. This unjust and outdated practice overwhelmingly benefits wealthy, predominantly white applicants while disadvantaging first-generation, low-income, and minority students. By eliminating legacy and donor preferences and expanding scholarships, and dual enrollment access, D.C. can ensure fairer college admissions policies. D.C. must lead the way in fostering a fair, equitable, and inclusive higher education system. A recent report by Education Reform Now, Future of Fair Admissions: Issue Brief 5 – Legacy Admissions in 2025, revealed that a strong majority of Americans—three in four—oppose factoring legacy status into college admissions. Currently, fewer than a quarter of four-year colleges in the U.S. consider legacy status, a sharp decline from nearly half a decade ago.Just last year, four additional states joined Colorado in prohibiting legacy preferences in some form, and I hope D.C. will lead the way in 2025.[1]

Second, I want to applaud the Board for taking proactive steps to develop policies that balance the benefits of technology with the need for focused, effective learning environments. In today’s digital world, cell phones and personal devices can either enhance or disrupt learning. 

Third, I want to share our Fiscal Year 2026 budget priorities and urge you to prioritize fair and equitable funding for all public school students.[2] Thanks to the dedication of our students, educators, and families, we are beginning to see promising signs of progress in our schools. Recently, D.C. students demonstrated remarkable long-term gains in Math and Reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), surpassing national trends. Compared to similar jurisdictions, both demographically and geographically, D.C. posted the highest gains from 2022 to 2024.[3] This achievement is a testament to D.C.’s collective commitment to educational excellence, and we must build upon this momentum by ensuring that all public schools have the resources necessary to sustain and accelerate this progress.

Specifically, all public school funding, including educator compensation, must be distributed equitably across all local education agencies (LEAs) through the uniform per-student funding formula, with a targeted focus on students designated as “at-risk.” Ensuring parity in funding across both of our sectors is essential because all students deserve a high-quality education, and all effective educators deserve a raise in pay.[4]

Additionally, I encourage the Board to support strategic investments in evidence-based programs that have a proven impact on student achievement, including:

1. Improving Literacy Rates

• Fully fund the Office of the State Superintendent’s Early Literacy Education Task Force recommendations to advance early literacy education ($9M over the financial plan).

2. Strengthen math instruction and supports: Invest in a comprehensive statewide strategy for math beginning this year. This investment should include:

• High-Quality Instructional Materials and Professional Development: Fund a pilot program in six DCPS and six public charter schools, each receiving a math coach ($2M total).

• High-Impact Tutoring (HIT): Support evidence-based HIT programs – small-group, intensive tutoring tailored to individual student needs – for students across 90 DCPS and public charter schools ($4.8M).

• Math Teacher Pipeline: Strengthen the pipeline of math teachers trained by local D.C. universities and sustain funding for current programs (ie. OSSE’s Apprenticeship in Teaching ($565K)).

• Parent and Caregiver Support: Implement Power My Learning math family engagement playlists for all elementary school students. (($1.5M in FY26, $700K in FY27).

3. Build college and career pathways: Expand dual enrollment and early college opportunities; and fund the Education Through Employment Data System to enable the publication of essential data dashboards ($2.1M in FY26, $1.5M in FY27).

4. Maintain the charter facilities allowance: Ensure public charter schools have safe and adequate learning environments by maintaining the annual public charter school facilities allowance increase of 3.1% ($17.5M over the financial plan).

5. Strengthen school-based behavioral health (SBBH): Strengthen behavioral health support in schools by: 

• Placing a Community-based organization (CBO) clinician in 204 schools ($18.8M). 

• Fully funding B25-0759, the Child Behavioral Health Services Dashboard Act of 2024 ($485K). 

• Providing a minimum of $1,500 per school year for the SBBH Coordinator role at all 254 schools ($381K per fiscal year). 

By prioritizing these critical investments, we can help ensure that every D.C. student, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to a high-quality public education. I urge the Board to support these funding recommendations and continue championing policies that promote academic success and educational equity across the District.

Thank you for your time and leadership. I look forward to working together to strengthen public education in D.C. and am happy to answer any questions you may have.