Taxes

FemaGrant Maiorella 02
A new gym under construction in Wisconsin's Cuba City school district, pictured April 16, 2026, would have also served as a tornado shelter, thanks to an $8.8 million FEMA grant. But nearly four years after it was awarded the grant, the district still doesn't have the money.
Arthur Maiorella for Education Week
Education Funding A School Wants a Tornado Shelter. A Federal Grant Keeps Getting in the Way
The district still can't spend a FEMA grant it was originally awarded in 2022.
Mark Lieberman, May 1, 2026
9 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
School Choice & Charters Opinion A New Federal Education Tax Credit Is Creating a Dilemma for Blue States
A new tax credit is forcing Democrats to navigate the tensions of politics and principles.
Rick Hess, April 28, 2026
9 min read
Composite sketch design collage of teacher sitting working laptop calculator money earnings savings filing taxes.
iStock
Teaching Profession What Teachers Should Know About Tax Deductions
The educator expense deduction hasn't budged. But these tips may take the sting out of tax time.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 10, 2026
3 min read
Image of desks with money symbolism overlayed on the desktops and seats.
Laura Baker/Education Week & Getty
Budget & Finance 4 Ways States Could Reduce Property Taxes—And What It Means for Schools
Budgets beware: States are eyeing property-tax caps, exemptions, or eliminating them altogether.
Mark Lieberman, February 19, 2026
3 min read
An image representing disputes over property taxes.
DigitalVision Vectors
Budget & Finance How Do Schools Solve a Problem Like Property Taxes?
Politicians or activists in at least 10 states are pitching the end of one of schools' chief revenue sources.
Mark Lieberman, February 12, 2026
11 min read
Upside down bluish green-colored Dollar symbol and finance graph shaped #2 pencil. On white-colored notepaper background.
Getty
Education Funding State Funding for Schools Is a Mess This Year, Too. Here's Why
The Trump administration's school funding disruptions have drawn significant attention, but schools are challenged by state budgets, too.
Mark Lieberman, August 29, 2025
12 min read
Pencil drawing a checkmark in a box. U.S.A. ballot measures voting in elections.
DigitalVision Vectors
States 5 Ways You Didn't Know the Election Will Affect K-12 Schools
Voters will weigh ballot items that affect funding for electric school buses, tax revenue for state education budgets, and more.
Mark Lieberman, October 31, 2024
8 min read
budget school funding
iStock/Getty
School Choice & Charters Explainer How States Use Tax Credits to Fund Private School Choice: An Explainer
Twenty-one states have programs that give tax credits for donations to organizations that grant private-school scholarships.
Mark Lieberman, October 4, 2024
12 min read
Houses made out of 100 dollar bills and lined up in a row.
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance The Future of Property Taxes Is on Ballots This Fall. Why It Matters for Schools
Several states are considering reforms that would lower property taxes—or ask voters to approve eliminating them altogether.
Mark Lieberman, August 30, 2024
4 min read
School bus on rural route, Owens Valley, CA.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding A Funding Lifeline for Rural Schools Is at Risk, and Not for the First Time
Rural schools near national forests rely on dedicated federal funds. But so far, lawmakers haven't renewed them.
Mark Lieberman, August 16, 2024
7 min read
A school building rests on vanishing columns of rolled hundred dollar bills. Vanishing property tax support for schools.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Education Funding A State Considers a Future in Which Schools Can't Rely on Property Taxes
How would school districts fill the gap if a governor gets his wishes?
Mark Lieberman, July 9, 2024
10 min read
Conceptual illustration of Newton's Cradle: 4 balls on strings and one ball is pulled back and swinging towards other three. The one pulled back represents money and has a dollar sign on it.
Wenmei Zhou/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Budget & Finance How to Build Voter Support for School Bonds: 5 Tips
A ‘steady drumbeat of communication’ with lots of detailed information go a long way, district leaders say.
5 min read
Collage of a construction site and school grounds.
Collage via Canva
Budget & Finance Passing School Bonds Is Hard. Advice From 3 Superintendents Who Did It
‘Educating instead of campaigning’ in an era when district leaders are under a political microscope.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 29, 2024
8 min read
Illustration of many roads and road signs going in different directions with falling money all around.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding When There's More Money for Schools, Is There an 'Objective' Way to Hand It Out?
A fight over the school funding formula in Mississippi is kicking up old debates over how to best target aid.
Mark Lieberman, April 17, 2024
7 min read