April 3, 2026 (Washington, D.C) – On Friday, President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, asking Congress to fund the U.S. Department of Education at $76.5 billion dollars, a 2.9% decrease in spending from the enacted level in fiscal year 2026.
The President’s budget reflects the priorities of his administration by increasing funding for programs that support school choice and minimizing the federal government’s role in education. This budget, which is similar to the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget request, will undermine schools’ and districts’ ability to provide high-quality education to students in all communities by increasing the funding burden on state and local budgets that rely on federal dollars to meet their students’ most urgent needs.
Whereas the President is requesting $18.4 billion for Title I and $16 billion for Special Education funding, a $539 million increase from fiscal year 2026, he is also proposing the elimination of 12 programs, totaling $2.1 billion, that support investments in equity-based education.
Moreover, this budget establishes a $2 billion Make Education Great Again (MEGA) grant program by consolidating 17 grant programs, which accounted for $6.5 billion in funding during the previous fiscal year, with the goal of “allowing States to fund those activities based on their needs without Federal prescription.” The Full-Service Community School grant program, while not explicitly noted, would likely be incorporated into the MEGA grant program, based on a similar FY26 consolidation proposal.
The MEGA grant proposal is the Administration’s second attempt to eliminate grants serving elementary and secondary schools. In FY26, the President recommended that the U.S. Department of Education establish the K-12 Simplified Funding Program (SFP), which would have been a new single-state formula grant. Programs proposed for consolidation into SFP included Promise Neighborhoods, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and Statewide Family Engagement Centers, among others. This proposal was rejected by both the House and Senate during the FY26 appropriations process.
“The President’s FY26 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education does not reflect the deep needs of students, families, schools, and communities across the country,” said IEL President Eddie Koen. “The current economic climate demands more investments in local communities to ensure kids have access to the resources, backed by research, needed to succeed in the classroom and beyond. IEL and the Coalition for Community Schools are committed to advocating for investments in what works, like Full-Service Community Schools, to ensure every young person has the opportunity to thrive.”
The President’s request heads to Congress, which ultimately sets the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2027.