The "No Cuts to Public Schools Act" ensures continued funding for critical education programs like special education and aid for disadvantaged students by automatically offsetting any funding reductions with appropriations from the Treasury for fiscal years 2025-2027.
Edward "Ed" Markey
Senator
MA
The "No Cuts to Public Schools Act" ensures consistent funding for critical education programs like those supporting students with disabilities, disadvantaged children, and homeless youth. If funding for these programs is reduced in fiscal years 2025-2027 compared to 2024 levels, the bill automatically appropriates funds from the Treasury to cover the difference. This ensures that key educational initiatives maintain their financial support, and the budgetary effects of this bill will not be counted on PAYGO scorecards.
Proposed Bill Locks In K-12 Funding: 'No Cuts to Public Schools Act' Guarantees 2024 Levels Through FY2027
A new proposal, the "No Cuts to Public Schools Act," aims to put a floor under funding for several key federal education programs for the next three fiscal years (2025-2027). The core idea is simple: guarantee that funding for these specific programs doesn't drop below the levels set in the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations.
Keeping the Budget Steady
So, how does it work? The bill identifies a list of "critical education programs." This includes big names like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which supports special education, and multiple parts of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) – think Title I funding for disadvantaged students, support for teachers and principals (Title II), language instruction (Title III), and after-school programs (Title IV), among others. It also covers aid for homeless students under the McKinney-Vento Act.
If Congress, through its regular annual budget process (a "regular appropriation Act"), decides to fund any of these programs at a lower level than they received in FY2024, this bill kicks in automatically. Thirty days after the relevant budget bill is signed, an amount equal to the shortfall is automatically drawn from the U.S. Treasury to make up the difference. Essentially, it creates a funding backstop for these specific education lines.
The Automatic Top-Up
This automatic appropriation is the key mechanism. Let's say FY2024 funding for IDEA Part B was $14 billion. If the FY2026 budget bill only allocates $13.5 billion, this Act would trigger an automatic $500 million payment from the Treasury to the IDEA program 30 days later, bringing its total funding back to the $14 billion baseline. These automatically appropriated funds stay available until they're spent, ensuring the money reaches its intended programs regardless of the initial budget allocation.
Off the Books? Budget Scorecard Implications
One notable detail is how this impacts budget tracking. The bill explicitly states that any spending triggered by this automatic top-up mechanism won't be counted on PAYGO (Pay-As-You-Go) scorecards. PAYGO is a budget rule designed to ensure new spending or tax cuts don't add to the deficit. By excluding this potential spending from the scorecard, the bill ensures funding stability for these programs without triggering certain budget enforcement mechanisms. However, it also means the potential costs associated with maintaining these funding levels, if future Congresses do try to cut them, won't be reflected in that specific deficit-tracking measure. This provides certainty for schools relying on these funds but sidesteps a common budget accountability tool.