The Schools First Amendment Act of 2026 amends the Schools First in Budgeting Amendment Act of 2022 to modify the method for calculating individual school budgets within the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) system. A key change is the introduction of "average position cost," defined as the total cost, including salary and benefits, of a school-based educator, which will now be used to determine each school's annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Additionally, the bill makes several adjustments to existing paragraphs in the law, including the addition of a new subparagraph that accounts for projected increases in average position costs and modifications to the language regarding instructional personnel.

The bill also includes specific amendments to existing sections, such as redesignating certain paragraphs and updating terminology to reflect the changes in budget calculations. For instance, it replaces references to "instructional or school-based support personnel" with "instructional personnel" and introduces provisions to adjust budget amounts based on reductions in personnel due to school closures. The act will take effect after being approved by the Mayor and undergoing a 30-day congressional review period.