One of the top education leaders in D.C. is laying out her plans and priorities for the future, but she’s facing a nagging question that she can’t quite answer yet: How much money might be slashed from public education due to looming budget cuts?
“All children should be attending schools that meet their fundamental education needs,” said acting state Superintendent of Education Antoinette Mitchell.
Mitchell is currently in the process of being confirmed by the D.C. Council to take on the superintendent role permanently. She testified Wednesday before council members.
“Our plan is to support our lowest performing schools by providing clear expectations, funding and aligned supports to aid schools in implementing strong improvement plans and to close learning gaps,” Mitchell said. “I think that we’re going to have a real impact on improving those schools.”
Still, it’s unclear how much funding will ultimately be available as the city faces major cuts.
“That is deliberative information that I probably can’t share right now,” Mitchell said regarding specific education cuts that may be on the table. “There is a budget process.”
Cuts outlined by Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration are substantial.
They include a freeze on hiring new employees, a freeze on the authorization of overtime pay for work performed after April 27 and a freeze on pay raises, bonuses and promotions.
D.C. officials said the city administrator would present recommendations to Bowser by Friday on potential furloughs and the temporary closure of certain government facilities.
The budget crisis dates back to March, when the U.S. House passed a federal government funding bill that forced D.C.’s government to revert to its 2024 spending levels, effectively cutting $1.1 billion from the current budget.
Bowser led a vigorous lobbying campaign in Congress to prevent the change, warning it would trigger immediate, across-the-board cuts to staffing and programs, including layoffs of teachers and police officers.
The Senate approved the funding bill with the cuts to the city included, but immediately followed up with a separate bill that would restore the District’s budget.
That fix then returned to the House for consideration. So far, the House has not brought the proposal to the floor for a vote.
Under federal law, District officials said they have the authority to increase current spending by about 6%, which would help absorb some of the cuts.
Even with that, D.C. is still facing roughly $400 million in reductions.
Bowser said she remains hopeful the House will pass the D.C. budget bill when lawmakers return to the Capitol next week.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
