 After the state rejected a budget plan that would have cut 85 positions and raised taxes by almost 4%, the board of education voted in April 2017 to cut a total of 300 positions, including 260 non-tenured teachers, to achieve $6 million in savings from the earlier proposed $133 million budget.During the 2008-09 school year, Public School #14 Gifted & Talented was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive.In 2009-2010, Washington Community School was awarded the Blue Ribbon Award.