Budget & Finance
Education news, analysis, and opinion about district and school finances and budgets.
Budget & Finance ESG: The Hotly Contested Investment Strategy That Could Pose Trouble for Teacher PensionsPension funds are facing political pressure either to incorporate social goals into their investment approaches, or to do the opposite.
Budget & Finance Letter to the Editor Federal Funds Should Be Prioritized to Support Mental HealthA psychologist urges districts to invest in social-emotional and mental health supports—above all others—in this letter to the editor.
Budget & Finance The Ballooning Expense That's Cutting Into Funding for StudentsThe costs of retirement benefits and unfunded pension liabilities have grown far more quickly than overall spending on K-12 schools.
Budget & Finance Data See Which School Districts Declined Federal Pandemic AidAdministrative hassle, philosophical disagreements, and abrupt school closures are among the reasons districts rejected ESSER funds.
Budget & Finance Why a Handful of School Districts Rejected COVID Relief FundsSome districts thought ESSER funds weren't worth the bureaucratic hurdles. Others had philosophical disagreements.
Budget & Finance Poorer Districts Were More Likely to Use COVID Relief Money to Repair BuildingsThe poorest districts were more than three times as likely to spend money on the construction of new buildings or classrooms, the AP found.
Budget & Finance COVID Relief Funds Are on Their Way Out. Scrutiny Is Only BeginningAuditors and policymakers are ramping up efforts to hold schools accountable for investing in helping students recover post-pandemic.
Budget & Finance How Sloppy Math Makes Budgeting Harder for SchoolsAn ongoing school funding mishap in Virginia highlights the precarious business of providing adequate funding for education.
Budget & Finance More Districts Are Paying Big to Resolve Sexual Misconduct ClaimsA new report says schools and colleges had to pay out 69 damage awards and settlements of $1 million or more last year.
Budget & Finance Q&A Letting Students Decide Where Money Should Go: How One District Did ItCyndi Tercero-Sandoval leads an effort to let Phoenix Union High students decide how significant chunks of money are spent.
Budget & Finance Leader To Learn From Giving Students a Say in School Spending? A District Leader's Bold Idea Pays OffCyndi Tercero-Sandoval's initiative empowers students by allowing them to vote on how portions of their school's budgets will be spent.
Budget & Finance Schools Are Heading Into a Perfect Financial StormSchool districts will lose the lifeline of COVID relief funds as they struggle with inflated costs and rising economic uncertainty.
Budget & Finance COVID Relief Funds Dry Up Next Year. Here's How Districts Can CopeSchool systems need to figure out how they'll pay for programs and staff funded with those federal dollars.
Budget & Finance Meal Debt Is a Growing Problem for School Districts, Survey ShowsStudent meal debt is one of a host of challenges facing district food services. Inflation and supply chain shortages are big ones, too.
Budget & Finance The Bleak Outlook for Teacher Pensions: What You Need to KnowPublic pensions for teachers and other school workers were only 75 percent funded by states and districts last year—a steep drop from 2021.
