A new federal spending package challenges major cuts to K12 education funding by the Trump administration. Here’s what’s included in the bicameral bill.
The three-bill funding package includes $224 billion for labor, health and human services, and education programs, roughly $50 billion more than the Republican House bill. For K12 schools, the package seeks to prevent critical funding sources from being eliminated.
For instance, House Republicans had proposed cutting more than $9 billion in K12 funding, including nearly $5 billion from Title I. The FY26 package rejects this attempt, keeping Title I and other key programs intact.
“This latest funding package continues Congress’s forceful rejection of extreme cuts to federal programs proposed by the Trump Administration,” said House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro. “Where the White House attempted to eliminate entire programs, we chose to increase their funding. Where the Administration proposed slashing resources, we chose to sustain funding at current levels.”
Here’s a brief overview of what’s included in the package, which is headed to the House and Senate for votes ahead of the Jan. 30 funding deadline:
Department of Education
The legislation would ensure continued support for programs protecting the needs of diverse learners and sustaining academic recovery efforts, totaling $79 billion overall. The bill would cover Title I grants to local education agencies, English language acquisition, Title II-A (Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants), special education and more.
The proposal also includes $2.2 billion for career, technical and adult education, which is roughly $706 million above the Republican House bill.
Meanwhile, the bill pushes for added support toward higher education programs that have been targeted by the Trump administration. The bill includes $3.3 billion toward various programs, including:
- $1 billion to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Aid for Institutional Development account.
- $1.2 billion for Federal TRIO programs.
- $388 million for GEAR UP.
- $70 million for Teacher Quality Partnerships.
- $75 million for Child Care Access Means Parents in School.
- $81 million for International Education and Foreign Language.
Read a full summary of the legislation here.
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