By Erika Hoffman, CSBA Deputy Legislative Director for State and Federal Programs
On May 30, the Trump Administration submitted full details for the President’s proposed fiscal year 2026 education budget, which fills in the data and information that was not included in the original “skinny” budget proposal released earlier in May.
In his FY 2026 discretionary budget funding request, President Trump stated that the Administration will continue the process of shutting down the Department of Education and maintain full funding for Title I and special education. He also provided that the budget would create a new K-12 formula grant and would increase funding for charter schools by $60 million.
The FY 2026 Budget Summary proposal would reduce overall education funding by 15 percent, to $66.7 billon. Funding for Title I-A grants under the Every Student Succeeds Act remains level with the FY 2024 amount of $18.4 billion. However, funding for other programs would change.
The proposed budget would establish the K-12 Simplified Funding Program (K-12 SFP), which would be a $2 billion formula grant that would let states and local educational agencies choose how to spend the federal funding. The activities of 18 education programs being consolidated into this grant would remain allowable with states and LEAs having the flexibility to deploy the resources of the grant in a manner consistent with the needs of their communities. While CSBA can appreciate the consolidation and flexibility of the K-12 SFP, it is woefully underfunded — the $2 billion provided for the K-12 SFP grant is over $4 billion below the appropriations for all 18 programs combined.
Programs being folded into the K-12 SFP include Title II-A and B programs on literacy and effective instruction, 21st Century Learning Centers, State Assessment grants, education for homeless children grants, magnet school assistance and promise neighborhoods funding.
There are, however, a number of programs that the Administration has proposed to either eliminate or has not requested funding for — these programs include migrant education programs, comprehensive centers, education innovation and research, a number of teacher preparation and training grants, full-service community schools and English language acquisition programs.
For special education, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Grants to States will be expanded to include Part B-preschool grants and national service activities. The new Grant to States will be funded for all three programs at a level equal to what was provided under the FY 2024 budget — approximately $14.9 billion. Current grants for Part C-infants and toddlers, Special Olympics and vocational rehabilitation remain as separate grants and are also funded at the FY 2024 levels. But funding for other rehabilitation programs, including client assistance, training, and protection and advocacy is not being requested.
Finally, Impact Aid, Indian Education programs and the Carl Perkins Career Technical Education program remain fully funded although no funding has been requested for adult education programs.
The submission of the President’s budget request is just the first of many steps in the budget process. Both the House and Senate will start Appropriations Committee hearings to develop their own budget proposals and then will negotiate a complete budget package to send the President for his approval.
CSBA will continue to monitor the development of the FY 2026 budget and will provide updates as Congress goes through its development process.
