School Funding
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.