Statement From Shavar Jeffries on FY24 Presidential Budget

The FY24 spending bill approved by Congress and signed by President Biden represents an important win for students. I was grateful to see that cuts threatened in earlier proposals were averted and that critical programs, including ESSA Title I grants and IDEA funding to support students with disabilities, were increased. Given rising costs, this additional support is vital to advancing educational equity and ensuring that we can build on existing pandemic recovery efforts. I was also gratified to see that the Charter School Program (CSP) was level-funded at $440 million, notwithstanding efforts to cut funding from the program; this is a victory for millions of families who want to see the creation of more high-quality public charter schools. I urge Congress to increase funding for this program to $500 million in FY25.

I look forward to working together with the President’s Administration, Congress, and our partners to ensure that future budgets deepen investments in these priorities so that every child has access to the education they deserve.

Shavar Jeffries, KIPP Foundation CEO