B 26-0327 Legislature · 26th Council Period (2025-2026)

Schools First Amendment Act of 2025

This bill amends how District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) calculate individual school budgets by adding "average position cost" as a factor. This cost includes salary for school-based educators, specifically referencing Washington Teacher Union members. The key change requires adjusting each school's budget for the next fiscal year based on the projected increase in this average cost. The amendment modifies existing budgeting law (D.C. Code § 38-2851.01 et seq.) to incorporate this new factor. It directly affects DCPS school budget calculations and educator funding levels.
Bill status signed all 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jul 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Council Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Jul 11, 2025 Signed Apr 29, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossment → Enrollment · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was finalized and enrolled for signature, changing its title slightly to 'Schools First Amendment Act of 2026' and adding a formal effective date clause. The core policy remains the same: it updates the method for calculating school budgets by introducing 'average position cost' as a new factor to ensure funding accounts for the specific salary and benefits of educators.
Scope change
The scope of applicability remains unchanged; the bill still applies to the District of Columbia Public Schools System.
TIMELINE

Added a formal effective date section stating the law takes effect after Mayor approval, potential veto override, and a 30-day congressional review period.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title in the preamble to reflect the final enrolled version and reorganized the amendment section to explicitly reference 'Title I' of the existing act.

DEFINITION

Formally defined 'average position cost' as the salary and benefits of a school-based educator used to calculate the next fiscal year's budget.

FISCAL

Modified the budget calculation formula to include a new factor for the projected increase in average position cost.

Floor votes · Council Mar 31, 2026

How they voted

13–0
Passed
Total votes 13
Mar 31, 2026
D Democratic11
11 Yea
100% Yea
I Independent2
2 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
3
Committee
3
Mar 31, 2026
Council · Passed
Council Vote: pass (13-0)
council
Mar 31, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Committee Mark-up of B26-0327 by the Committee of the Whole
legislature
Feb 17, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Committee Mark-up of B26-0327 by the Committee of the Whole
legislature
Jul 14, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee of the Whole
legislature
Jul 11, 2025
Introduced
B26-0327 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary
legislature
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Phil Mendelson
Phil Mendelson
DDemocratic
DC
Chairman