School Funding

Learn more about how K-12 schools and districts raise money, set budgets, and spend funds
Illustration of a person holding a bag of money with a hole in it, where coins are falling out, with a chart behind showing loss.
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School Choice & Charters How Private School Choice Complicates Public School Budgets
Districts are seeing higher costs and fuzzier enrollment projections as more states give parents public funds for private education.
Mark Lieberman, September 16, 2024
12 min read
Illustration of dollar being used to fill gap in bridge.
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States Some School Workers Now Get Unemployment Over the Summer. Here's How It Works
Districts are scrambling as some states now allow non-instructional school employees to collect summer unemployment checks.
Mark Lieberman, August 13, 2024
9 min read
illustration of a pair of glasses with a dollar sign in one lense and a clock in the other lense.
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Budget & Finance Racing to Spend Aid for Homeless Students, Schools Get Creative
Schools received a surge of homeless-student during the pandemic. Districts have to choose carefully in spending what's left of their cut.
Evie Blad, August 6, 2024
4 min read
Yellow electric school bus plugged in at a charging station.
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Budget & Finance Why Some Districts Rejected Cash to Buy Electric Buses—And Others Want More
A handful of federal programs have been key to accelerating the adoption of electric school buses.
Mark Lieberman, July 8, 2024
5 min read
Photo of dollar bills frozen in ice.
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School & District Management ‘Be Vocal Without Being Vicious’: Superintendents on Fighting for More Funding
Two superintendents talk about stepping into the political realm to call for more public school funding.
Caitlynn Peetz, July 5, 2024
5 min read
Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde delivers her breakthrough year address to those gathered for the 2024 Dallas ISD State of the District dinner at the Omni Dallas Hotel, April 4, 2024.
Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde delivers her breakthrough-year address to those gathered for the Dallas school district's State of the District dinner at the Omni Dallas Hotel in April.
The Dallas Morning News via TNS
School & District Management Superintendents Are Calling Out Politicians More as Budgets Grow Precarious
Superintendents are traditionally hesitant to engage in political debate. That's changing as budget gaps grow.
Caitlynn Peetz, July 2, 2024
7 min read
Illustration of two groups of professionals fighting in a tug of war with a dollar.
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School & District Management Teacher Layoffs on the Horizon: As ESSER Expires, Districts Face Tough Calls
The Great Recession offers some insight into how staff reductions might play out as ESSER funds expire.
Caitlynn Peetz, June 27, 2024
4 min read
Group of children board schoolbus
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Budget & Finance Some Districts Charge for School Bus Rides—If They Offer Transportation at All
Transportation charges are rarely scrutinized, but advocates say they're an equity issue.
Mark Lieberman, June 25, 2024
4 min read
Fourth-grader Sammiayah Thompson, left, and her brother third-grader Nehemiah Thompson work outside in their yard on laptops provided by their school system for distant learning, in Hartford, Conn., on June 5, 2020.
Fourth-grader Sammiayah Thompson, left, and her brother third-grader Nehemiah Thompson work outside in their yard on laptops provided by their school system for distance learning, in Hartford, Conn., on June 5, 2020. Some districts kept virtual programs as an option after schools reopened, but many of those are now considering cuts to them as budgets tighten.
Jessica Hill/AP
School & District Management Districts’ Virtual Programs Are on the Chopping Block as ESSER Ends
Although usually small in enrollment, virtual programs have been an important option for some students.
Caitlynn Peetz, June 25, 2024
6 min read
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Driving Impact Ahead of the ESSER Deadline with High-Dosage Tutoring
The impact of high-dosage tutoring on student outcomes is clear, now learn how districts are using ESSER III and other funding sources to...
Content provided by Varsity Tutors
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Special Education Who's Eligible for Special Education Services? Schools Struggle to Keep Up
Many states now require schools to offer special education services to students until they turn 22. Costs and logistics can be daunting.
9 min read
The direction of money, the question of money, the businessman stands at the crossroads with coins and ponders.
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Budget & Finance Districts Struggle to Find the Least Harmful Cuts as Budgets Shrink
Districts are losing one-time federal funds and laboring to figure out how to prudently cut positions or even close schools.
Mark Lieberman, June 11, 2024
9 min read
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Budget & Finance 3 Ways Districts Can Prepare for Financial Woes to Come
ESSER dollars are expiring soon, leaving districts to get creative with resources in future years.
Mark Lieberman, June 4, 2024
4 min read
Budget & Finance Webinar Staffing Schools After ESSER: What School and District Leaders Need to Know
Join our newsroom for insights on investing in critical student support positions as pandemic funds expire.
May 30, 2024