On January 18, 2024, Congress approved a stopgap measure to keep the federal government funded through March 8th, successfully avoiding a partial shutdown that would have otherwise taken effect on January 20th. The Continuing Resolution (CR) delays deciding the FY24 budget for federal agencies that include the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). The CR was signed by President Joe Biden .
The House cleared the continuing resolution in a bipartisan 314-108 vote after the Senate passed it 77-18. In the meantime, March 8 is the new deadline for determining fiscal year 2024 spending levels for the USDE and other impacted agencies. Also, the uncertainty of what the future may bring puts stress on education leaders as they plan their budgets with in the last year of federal COVID-19 emergency funding.