School Funding

Learn more about how K-12 schools and districts raise money, set budgets, and spend funds
Businesspreson looks at stairs in the door of dollar sign.
iStock/Getty and Education Week
School & District Management Superintendents Think a Lot About Money, But Few Say It's One of Their Strengths
A new survey also highlights how male and female superintendents approach the job differently.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, December 5, 2025
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6 min read
A student arrives at Morrisville Middle/Senior High School.
Mason Wargo, 17, a student at Morrisville Middle/Senior High School, stands in the hallway in the school in Morrisville, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2025. Wargo was concerned about how a legislative impasse that resulted in a much-delayed state budget would affect his ability to graduate this year.
Rachel Wisniewski for Education Week
Budget & Finance A School District Almost Had to Close Mid-Year. What Happened?
A school district's close call with financial despair offers a reminder that school funding is perennially precarious.
Mark Lieberman, November 21, 2025
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14 min read
Educators participate in a hands-on breakout session during a professional development training on AI at Louisa County High School in Mineral, Va., on Sept. 23, 2025.
Educators participate in a hands-on breakout session during a professional development training on AI at Louisa County High School in Mineral, Va., on Sept. 23, 2025. Changing instructional practices haven't prompted districts to put more of their overall budget into ongoing teacher training, a new report concludes.
Kirsten Luce for Education Week
Budget & Finance What the Research Says Is Spending on Professional Development Keeping Pace?
A new tool helps leaders map and compare spending for teacher learning.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 30, 2025
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3 min read
Illustration in blue of huge hands holding money as silhouette people run towards it.
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance School Districts Prepare to Go Without Some Federal Funds Next Year
Some school finance chiefs are preparing for worst-case scenarios as federal funding uncertainty persists.
Mark Lieberman, October 23, 2025
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7 min read
EdWeek Federal Funding Interior
Taylor Callery for Education Week
Education Funding One Casualty of Trump's $6.8 Billion Funding Freeze: Schools' Trust in the Feds
Some district leaders are now wary of relying on federal funding—even when Congress has already approved it.
Mark Lieberman, August 6, 2025
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11 min read
Instructional coach Kristi Tucker posts notes to the board during a team meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025.
Instructional coach Kristi Tucker posts notes during a team meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025. Professional development is one area many districts say they'll cut if the Trump administration continues to withhold billions of dollars in federal school funds.
Bryant Kirk White for Education Week
Budget & Finance Teacher PD, Jobs on the Chopping Block as Trump's Funding Freeze Continues
In a new survey, superintendents detail the tradeoffs they expect to make if billions in federal funds don't arrive.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Jennifer Igbonoba, July 22, 2025
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6 min read
Concept of the remedy for melancholy and happiness, with a painter who transforms a brick wall into a sunny sky.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Opinion Trump's Cuts to Schools Will Hit Hard. But Leaders Need More Than Just Money
The federal funding chaos highlights a perennial dynamic in public schools.
Joshua P. Starr, July 11, 2025
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5 min read
Cafeteria workers serve student lunches at Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, Calif. on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
Cafeteria workers serve student lunches at Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, Calif. on April 3, 2024. Demand for school lunches has increased after California guaranteed free meals to all students regardless of their family's income. Now, in Oklahoma, state Superintendent Ryan Walters is mandating that districts provide free meals to all students, although no state law requiring them has passed and the state hasn't set aside additional money.
Richard Vogel/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement A State Chief's Order to Schools: Provide Free Meals for All—With No New Funding
Oklahoma's state superintendent told districts to fully cover student meal costs. Districts say the mandate is costly and unenforceable.
Evie Blad, July 10, 2025
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6 min read
Budget & Finance Whitepaper School Funding in an Age of Uncertainty
Allovue’s third annual Education Finance Survey takes stock of on-the-ground realities of school spending at a time of unparalleled uncertainty.
July 10, 2025
Image of a leader replacing FA"KE" with FA"CT"
Diki Prayogo/iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance How This District Headed Off Misinformation About Its School Bond Campaign
School bonds are hot-button issues for districts—and ripe for misinformation campaigns.
Evie Blad, June 18, 2025
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5 min read
Budget & Finance Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Education Finance?
Answer 7 questions about education finance.
June 9, 2025
Illustrated photo of a ship made out of money and carrying a large red question mark with a stormy seascape and sky all around.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management How Schools Think Their Legal Expenses Will Change Under Trump
The first few months of the Trump administration have been like "drinking from a fire hose," an education attorney said.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 2, 2025
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5 min read
Mon., May 05, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Budget & Finance Webinar School Finance in an Uncertain Age
Navigating the new school finance reality? Get key insights from the 2025 Allovue Education Finance Survey in partnership.
Register
May 5, 2025
A triptych photograph of a stack of papers against a blue background, a school bus against a blue sky, and an excavator on a pile of dirt. There is yellow tape covering the entire 3 photos with the word TARIFFS and the American flag repeated on the tape.
Getty
Budget & Finance Trump's Tariffs Are Already Affecting Schools. Here's How
Higher prices due to tariffs are no longer theoretical for schools replacing technology—or even buying copy paper.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 30, 2025
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2 min read
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