The Department of Education is seeking P61.02 billion for the operating expenses of public schools in 2027, up slightly from this year but nearly twice the amount allocated in 2022.

The proposed Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) allocation is part of DepEd’s P975.96-billion budget under the 2027 National Expenditure Program, which has passed House plenary deliberations.

“By simplifying our funding formulas and steadily expanding per-learner operational support, we are removing unnecessary bottlenecks so our school administrators and teachers can focus on teaching rather than worrying about basic school upkeep,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

The proposed school-level MOOE is P61.02 billion, compared with P60.89 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act. DepEd said schools received about P30 billion in direct operating funds in 2022.

Under the proposed 2027 allocation, elementary schools would receive P2,982 in MOOE per learner, up from P2,792 this year.

The allocation for junior high schools would increase to P2,744 per learner from P2,631, while senior high schools would get P3,558 per learner, up from P3,264.

The increases continue a rise in per-learner allocations over the past three years. Elementary funding, for instance, increased from P1,389 per learner in 2024 to P2,140 in 2025 and P2,792 in 2026.

Junior high school funding rose from P1,844 in 2024 to P2,201 in 2025 and P2,631 in 2026. For senior high schools, the corresponding figures were P2,306, P2,784 and P3,264.

For 2027, DepEd will also fully implement its Simplified Normative Funding Formula, which changes how MOOE is distributed among schools.

The education agency said the previous formula used several fixed parameters to calculate allocations. Under the new system, school enrollment and baseline data will be used to determine operating requirements.