DF government slashes R$25.5 million school funding for 2026

The Distrito Federal (DF) Education Secretariat reduced the budget for the Public School Decentralization and Financial Administration Program (PDAF) by R$ 25.5 million for the second semester of 2026. The new allocation is R$ 41.5 million, down from R$ 67 million, cutting the per‑student amount from R$ 84 to R$ 65. The teachers’ union Sinpro‑DF warned that individual schools could lose up to R$ 40 thousand, jeopardising repairs, materials and services.

Sinpro‑DF linked the cut to a R$ 6.6 billion loan the DF government took to support Banco de Brasília (BRB) after a failed attempt to acquire Banco Master. The union accused Vice‑Governor Celina Leão and Governor Ibaneis Rocha of “draining” public resources and called the timing – with the school term already underway – a disrespect to educators and students. The DF Court of Accounts is also investigating the PDAF’s financial reporting and has given the Secretariat 60 days to clarify inconsistencies.