The District of Columbia funds public elementary and secondary education primarily by its Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF). The Formula is one consequence of the establishment of public charter schools in 1996 via the associated Congressional mandate to enact a formula providing “a uniform dollar amount” for each resident pupil.

Funding must be uniform between DCPS and charter school students in enrollment, but the Congressional mandate permits deviations for differing costs by grade level or student need. These are implemented through weightings providing percentage add-ons for students in certain grade levels, limited English proficiency programs or differing levels of special education, as well as weightings for summer school, residential program, and basic adult education students. 

Public charter schools receive an additional per pupil amount for facilities, based on a multi-year rolling average of per pupil capital funding for DCPS students. The facilities allowance is designed to offset the Capital Funding received by DCPS, which charter schools do not receive. DCPS also receives additional, non-Formula funding for costs not borne by charter schools—tuition for private placements of students with disabilities, transportation of special education students, and “state agency” costs such as oversight of federal grant recipients, educational services for incarcerated youth, teacher certification, child work permits and the like. This funding is listed separately in DCPS’ annual budget request and is appropriated by the Mayor and Council as they see fit, not by any formula. The UPSFF exists solely to generate bottom-line appropriations; DCPS and charter schools are free to allocate funds internally without regard to the bases on which they were generated.

Until 2001, the initiative for the development of the funding formula came from the Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation of the Council of the District of Columbia (CELR). In 2001, the SEO assumed the responsibility of reviewing and recommending revisions in the Formula, and formally established a Technical Work Group (TWG) to advise and assist the State Education Office in carrying out its responsibilities. The Policy, Research and Analysis (PRA) department is responsible for the development of the recommendations for periodic revision of the Formula.

To learn more about the Technical Working Group and to view the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula recommendations, please select from the items below. 

• Technical Working Group
• Recommendations 2001*  
• Recommendations 2004* 
• Recommendations 2005*            
• Recommendations 2006* 
• Recommendations 2007*