Washington, D.C., schools prioritized staff rather than student outcomes, and now, big budget cuts are on the way while academic results have not improved.

According to the D.C. Policy Center, Washington public schools are going to see a 13% decline in funding just after losing COVID stimulus funds. Schools used these funds to hire more employees even as enrollment fell. On average, elementary schools and middle schools lost students while hiring additional staff, while high schools added more staff than students.