State Budgets/Funding

Learn about how much money states spend on K-12 schools and their funding priorities
David Sciarra, executive director of the Newark-based Education Law Center, an advocacy group for children in low-income cities, looks at paperwork during a hearing in a school funding case before the New Jersey Supreme Court in Trenton, Wednesday, April 20, 2011.
David Sciarra, executive director of the Newark-based Education Law Center, an advocacy group for children in low-income cities, looks at paperwork during a hearing in a school funding case before the New Jersey Supreme Court in Trenton, Wednesday, April 20, 2011.
John O'Boyle/AP/Pool
Education Funding Education Equity Expert: 'We've Gotta Give Up the Notion of Local Control'
David Sciarra, stepping down as head of the Education Law Center, says states have been let off the hook in the push for education equity.
Mark Lieberman, January 23, 2023
8 min read
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Education Funding How School Funding Falls Short, by the Numbers
See how states measure up in an annual report on state school funding and equity.
Mark Lieberman, December 28, 2022
1 min read
A student visits a sensory room at Williams Elementary School, on Nov. 3, 2021, in Topeka, Kan.
A student visits a sensory room at Williams Elementary School in Topeka, Kan.
Charlie Riedel/AP
Special Education Special Education Funding Is 'Fundamentally Broken,' Researcher Says
Federal funding for special education services has stayed largely flat over the past two decades.
Lauraine Langreo, December 9, 2022
3 min read
 A group of characters standing and walking next to 5 stacks of coins of varying heights
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Education Funding How Much States Need to Pony Up to Make School Spending Equitable
Districts with high shares of students of color, poor students, and English learners are getting short shrift now.
Mark Lieberman, December 8, 2022
6 min read
Educators delivering money.
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Education Funding What the Research Says Districts Are Spending More Per Student. Here's How to Make Sure All of Them Benefit
New studies suggest ways education leaders can make budgets bigger and more equitable.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 29, 2022
4 min read
Image of ballots going into a box.
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States School-Related Ballot Measures to Watch This Midterm Election
Voters in six states will decide on issues ranging from more funding for free school meals and the arts to reining in the state board.
Libby Stanford, October 6, 2022
7 min read
 abstract digital key with technology interface, cybersecurity, key, lock, cellphone, fingerprint, and cloud computing icons
As schools increasingly turn to technology, the risk of cyberattacks have also grown.
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Privacy & Security Cybersecurity a Top Ed-Tech Priority for States, But Funding Lags
Only 8 percent in a survey of state ed-tech leaders said their state provides “ample” funding for cybersecurity.
Lauraine Langreo, September 13, 2022
3 min read
Illustration of a helping hand with dollar bill bridging economy gap during coronavirus pandemic, assisting business people to overcome financial difficulties.
Feodora Chiosea/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Education Funding The COVID School-Relief Funds You Might Not Know About, Explained
Governors got $7 billion to spend on COVID relief efforts for K-12 and higher education with broad discretion on how to use it.
Mark Lieberman, August 4, 2022
6 min read
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Budget & Finance Chicago Public Schools Asked to Repay $87 Million It Got From 'Coding Error'
The state of Illinois will distribute the money to hundreds of school districts that were underpaid.
Tracy Swartz, Dan Petrella, and Karen Ann Cullotta, Chicago Tribune, April 11, 2022
3 min read
Image of a budget sheet and someone using a red pencil to mark on it.
aprott/iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance Schools Got Tons of Federal COVID Money. Why Some Are Laying Off Anyway
The realities of school district finance is clashing with the mainstream idea that schools are all flush with cash.
Mark Lieberman, March 30, 2022
7 min read
large hand with pencil is erasing a large dollar sign.
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Education Funding Fines, Budget Cuts, Spending Limits: How State Lawmakers Want to Censor Instruction
An Oklahoma legislator wants teachers to pay $10,000 or more out of their own pockets for teaching about sex or sexual orientation, for example.
Eesha Pendharkar & Mark Lieberman, February 14, 2022
7 min read
Education Funding Letter to the Editor More Money for Schools Isn’t the Answer
The real problem is not funding but demands that teachers do more than just teach their subject, writes Walt Gardner.
September 28, 2021
1 min read
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Pep Montserrat for Education Week
Education Funding Reported Essay Are We Asking Schools to Do Too Much?
Schools are increasingly being saddled with new responsibilities. At what point do we decide they are being overwhelmed?
Mark Lieberman, September 14, 2021
5 min read
Conceptual image of hundred dollar bills with some of the images of Benjamin Franklin masked.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and iStock
Education Funding Can Governors Really Take Money From Schools Over Masks?
State leaders are using the threat of funding cuts as a weapon in the mask debate—but it's not clear if they can or will follow through.
Mark Lieberman, August 13, 2021
7 min read