Chancellor Lewis Ferebee opened a virtual public hearing on the DC Public Schools FY26 budget and framed the district's priorities around three goals: academic success (with an emphasis on math and pathways to algebra), student connection through after-school and enrichment programs, and preparing students for transitions from pre-K through high school. "Our students, our families, and our staff have expressed interest in several important investments," Ferebee said during his opening remarks.

The hearing drew dozens of witnesses including students, parents, educators, community partners and union leaders who pressed DCPS to follow the Schools First in Budgeting Act and to prioritize stable, school-level funding. Student testimony set a personal tone: William Kane, an 8-year-old third-grader at Marie H. Reid Elementary, told the chancellor, "Can you please obey the law now and make sure our schools have funding?" and urged protection for programs such as FoodPrints and PAWS.

Speakers repeated common themes: budget stability to prevent last-minute staff cuts and position losses, transparent and earlier timelines for Local School Advisory Teams (LSATs) to review budgets, and alignment between capital planning and operating needs. Several witnesses called for DCPS to present clearer enrollment projections and to avoid shifting costs to schools. "The law requires that budgets provide schools with no less than the funding they received the previous year and keep up with increased costs," said Dana Springer, co-chair of an LSAT.

Union and partner groups urged targeted investments: the Washington Teachers Union asked for full funding of special education and social-emotional supports, while Reading Partners DC described a drop in partner placements and asked the district to consider sustaining tutoring partnerships as part of literacy strategy. Educators and LSAT chairs also called for automatic refresh cycles and maintenance of student and teacher devices to meet online assessments.

DCPS officials said the hearing begins a longer engagement. Ferebee outlined the FY26 development timeline — public hearings, enrollment forecasting and community engagement in November and December, budget deliveries in spring and late winter, and then Council review — and pledged continuing communication.

The hearing produced no formal votes; instead it served as a public record of requests and priorities that DCPS said it will consider as it develops both operating and capital budgets.