School Funding

Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Budget & Finance Letter to the Editor Federal Funds Should Be Prioritized to Support Mental Health
A psychologist urges districts to invest in social-emotional and mental health supports—above all others—in this letter to the editor.
March 7, 2023
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1 min read
Photo of librarian pushing book cart.
Wavebreak Media / Getty Images Plus
Curriculum Explainer How School Libraries Buy Books, Struggle for Funds, and Confront Book Bans: An Explainer
Schools are under fire from some parent groups over books they deem explicit. This is how those books end up in their library collections.
Mark Lieberman, February 27, 2023
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12 min read
Illustration of a hand rejecting another hand offering a stack of bills
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance Why a Handful of School Districts Rejected COVID Relief Funds
Some districts thought ESSER funds weren't worth the bureaucratic hurdles. Others had philosophical disagreements.
Mark Lieberman, February 24, 2023
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4 min read
Image of money and a timer.
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance COVID Relief Funds Are on Their Way Out. Scrutiny Is Only Beginning
Auditors and policymakers are ramping up efforts to hold schools accountable for investing in helping students recover post-pandemic.
Mark Lieberman, February 17, 2023
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4 min read
One Hundred Dollar Bill with the words "Uh Oh!" on a patch covering Ben's mouth
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance How Sloppy Math Makes Budgeting Harder for Schools
An ongoing school funding mishap in Virginia highlights the precarious business of providing adequate funding for education.
Mark Lieberman, February 7, 2023
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3 min read
Photo illustration of gavel falling in front of a cascade of money.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Budget & Finance More Districts Are Paying Big to Resolve Sexual Misconduct Claims
A new report says schools and colleges had to pay out 69 damage awards and settlements of $1 million or more last year.
Caitlynn Peetz, February 7, 2023
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5 min read
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval, the family and community engagement manager at the Phoenix Union High School District, in Phoenix, Ariz., meets with community liaisons at Carl Hayden High School.
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval, the family and community engagement manager at the Phoenix Union High School District, in Phoenix, Ariz., meets with community liaisons at Carl Hayden High School.
Ash Ponders for Education Week
Budget & Finance Q&A Letting Students Decide Where Money Should Go: How One District Did It
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval leads an effort to let Phoenix Union High students decide how significant chunks of money are spent.
Mark Lieberman, February 6, 2023
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4 min read
Richard Tomko, Superintendent of Belleville Public Schools in Belleville, N.J., visits Mrs. Gras’ pre-K class and participates in a dancing activity to enrich gross motor skills on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. One of Dr. Tomko’s main initiatives as superintendent has been to grow Belleville Public School’s “Preschool Universe,” which has been largely successful since the opening of the Hornblower Early Childhood Center in 2020. District enrollment in the “Preschool Universe” was at 7.8% in the 2018-19 school year, and is now at 86.7% for the 2022-23 school year.
Richard Tomko, superintendent of Belleville public schools in Belleville, N.J., has deepened community trust while improving the district's financial footing and expanding academic programs.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
School & District Management Leader To Learn From Transforming a School District, One Relationship at a Time
Richard Tomko of Belleville, N.J., schools wants to build an early foundation for students and help those with disabilities flourish.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 6, 2023
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8 min read
Cyndi Tercero, family and community engagement manager for the Phoenix Union High School Districts, pictured at a distribution event for students and families in need at Carl Hayden High School in west Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 13, 2023.
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval, the family and community engagement manager for the Phoenix Union High School District, helps out at a food distribution event for students and families in need at Carl Hayden High School in west Phoenix, Ariz.
Ash Ponders for Education Week
Budget & Finance Leader To Learn From Giving Students a Say in School Spending? A District Leader's Bold Idea Pays Off
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval's initiative empowers students by allowing them to vote on how portions of their school's budgets will be spent.
Mark Lieberman, February 6, 2023
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9 min read
Conceptual image of money with Benjamin Franklin's face peeking through cloudy blue sky.
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance Schools Are Heading Into a Perfect Financial Storm
School districts will lose the lifeline of COVID relief funds as they struggle with inflated costs and rising economic uncertainty.
Mark Lieberman, February 2, 2023
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7 min read
Students ride the bus home from Russellville Middle School in Russellville, Alabama, on Dec. 9, 2022.
Students ride the bus home from Russellville Middle School in Russellville, Ala., on Dec. 9, 2022.
Tamika Moore for Education Week
English-Language Learners Project After Early Success With English Learners, Can a District Keep Its Momentum?
The Alabama school system's gains are threatened by time-limited funding, unaddressed needs at the secondary level, and moribund state policy.
Ileana Najarro, January 30, 2023
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11 min read
Illustration of a man holding oversized money.
Nuthawut Somsuk/iStock/Getty
Education Funding States Are Rolling in Surplus Cash, But It's Not All Good News for Schools
Some states are ramping up education spending, while others are leaving districts disappointed.
Mark Lieberman, January 25, 2023
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7 min read
Image of arrows encircling a student from two sides.
DigitalVision Vectors and iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being School Foundations Shift Their Focus to Students' Mental Health as Need Grows
School district foundations generally help plug funding gaps. Some districts are tapping them to shore up mental health supports.
Denisa R. Superville, January 23, 2023
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11 min read
Pills of the painkiller hydrocodone at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt., on Feb. 19, 2013.
In this 2013 file photo, hydrocodone pills—an opioid—are seen at a Vermont pharmacy. School districts are arguing that the nation's opioid crisis has directly affected them through increased costs for special education and overdose-prevention efforts.
Toby Talbot/AP
Law & Courts Some Schools Will Get Money From Opioid Settlements—But It Won't Be Easy
Conflicts and unanswered questions stymie schools' efforts to secure a share of recent legal settlements from opioid makers.
Mark Lieberman, January 20, 2023
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6 min read
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