Budget & Finance
Education news, analysis, and opinion about district and school finances and budgets.
Quality Counts
Special Report
Quality Counts 2021: School Finance
This Quality Counts 2021 installment grades the nation and states on school finance and surveys educators' fiscal pressures and priorities.
Special Report
Managing the Money
Money fuels the daily operations of every school and district, but funding fights often take place far from the classroom. This special report focuses on what those on the hot seat are doing to make sure the taxpayer’s dollar gets spent in a way that advances learning.
Budget & Finance District Leaders Want More Time to Spend ESSER Funds—and More Money, TooOn Capitol Hill, superintendents pointed to big wins fueled by federal relief aid, from extended learning time to mental health support.
Budget & Finance Q&A Why Are K-12 Funding Inequities So Pervasive? A French Scholar of U.S. Education Weighs InEsther Cyna brings a unique perspective as a French scholar studying school finance in the United States.Budget & Finance Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Strategies for Closing the Funding Gap?Answer 7 questions about school funding after ESSER.
Budget & Finance Every Student Needs School Supplies. But Who Pays for Them?Some districts cover the costs of classroom materials, while others expect parents or teachers to pay.
Budget & Finance Opinion What Teachers Are Likely Missing From Their Back-to-School Wish ListsPens, paper, and markers are, of course, necessities. But for schools to thrive, more than basic supplies are required.
Budget & Finance Reported Essay What Does It Actually Mean for Schools to Be Public?There’s a conflict between how we fund public education and its public purpose.
Budget & Finance School Districts Prepare for Major Staffing Cuts as ESSER Winds DownMore than half of district leaders said in a new survey that they may have to cut many of the staff they used COVID relief money to hire.
Budget & Finance 5 Signs a District Will Be at Risk When ESSER Runs OutTwo new resources are urging districts and states to be deliberate as they transition away from federal relief funds.
Budget & Finance Pa. Hasn't Fixed Its School Funding System, and Educators Are FrustratedAfter Pennsylvania's school funding formula was deemed unconstitutional, state legislators failed to come up with a solution this session.
Budget & Finance School Administrators Are on the Chopping Block as ESSER Winds Down, Enrollment DropsThe expiration of COVID relief funds and enrollment declines are prompting districts to cut administration—even as experts advise caution.
Budget & Finance Auditors Are on the Hunt for ESSER Fraud. 5 Things to KnowDistricts in some cases have failed to follow regulations for documenting spending—but criminal fraud findings have been minimal.
Budget & Finance Schools' Insurance Costs Are Soaring—And Climate Change Isn't the Only ReasonDistricts are seeing higher premiums thanks to a surge in natural disasters and other challenges that make insurance companies wary.Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed PracticesAddress the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
Budget & Finance How Much Money Do Public Schools Get? The Latest NumbersAmerica collectively spent more than $800 billion on K-12 education in 2021, according to newly available federal data.
Budget & Finance Districts Proposed a Surge in Borrowing Last Year. Here's How Voters RespondedVoters approved a majority of bond elections for districts last year—but hundreds of proposed bonds failed to gain traction.
