Congress is back to work on Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget negotiations and it’s critical North Carolina members of Congress hear from school leaders about the importance of federal funding for the public schools in their districts.

NCASA submitted a letter this week to North Carolina’s Congressional delegation urging them to coalesce around the bipartisan Senate FY26 funding levels and provision that would guarantee districts receive their federal funding by July 1.

In September, the House Appropriations Committee advanced an FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services Education and Related Services proposal that cut Title I by almost $3.78 billion and eliminated other critical programs like Title II and Title III.

In contrast to the House proposal, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a bipartisan FY26 proposal which demonstrates that it is possible to preserve critical investments in education with level-funding and some funding increases. The Senate bill also ensures that K–12 funding will be disbursed on July 1, preserving a decades-long schedule.

There is concern that House and Senate conservatives are going to reject the Senate compromise or shut down the government on Jan. 30^th because they will not go along with what is essentially level funding for most K-12 programs. If we have a shutdown that leads to a year-long continuing resolution, there will be no way for Congress to ensure that K-12 funding goes out on July 1.

That is why it is critical to urge Congress to support the Senate proposal during budget negotiations. The School Superintendents Association (AASA) has more information here that outlines the key issues and provides customizable templates and contact information for your members of Congress.

NCASA will continue to advocate for this critical funding and keep you informed about key developments.