AASA Urges Congress to Finalize FY25 Appropriations

Today, AASA sent a letter to lead appropriators urging Congress to swiftly complete FY2025 funding and prioritize funding for our nation’s public schools. The current continuing resolution (CR) expires on March 14 – giving Congress very little time to avert a government shutdown.

As a reminder, with the new Congress, both chambers are essentially restarting the appropriations process. While this reset could be beneficial for education—given that the previous House FY25 proposal drastically cut Title I funding and eliminated Titles II and III—Congress’s focus on the new Administration’s priorities has left little room for progress on federal funding. There are reports that the “four corners” (lead appropriators from both parties and chambers) have reached an agreement on top line spending numbers, but now policy disagreements have stalled negotiations. There are also murmurs of a potential shutdown, but history has shown that when motivated, Congress can act quickly to avoid one.

Currently, the most likely scenario is another short-term CR to avert a shutdown on March 14. But the big question remains whether Congress will try to do full-year appropriations bill or just pass a full-year CR for FY25, so they can begin work on FY26? Whatever the outcome, AASA stands ready to assist Congress in their work to ensure K-12 education remains a priority. 

Real the full letter here.