School Funding

Characteristics of the 100 Largest School Districts

The National Center for Education Statistics provides a synopsis on 2008-09 data for the nation's largest school districts. It looks at graduation rates, per-pupil expenditures, teacher characteristics, among other things. National Center for Education Statistics, November 2010

Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Card

Are school finance systems in the 50 states fair? Simply comparing overall funding levels won’t answer that question, according to a groundbreaking report released Oct. 12 by the Education Law Center. Education Law Center, Oct. 12, 2010

Teaching Jobs Saved in 2009-10 But Teacher Layoffs Loom for Next School Year
Read this Center on Education Policy report examining how school districts have spent funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). CEP's report finds that the federal appropriations helped school districts save teaching jobs, but severe cutbacks are expected for the 2010-2011 school year. Center on Education Policy, July 16, 2010

The Condition of Education
The percentage of public schools where more than three quarters of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch - a key indicator of poverty - has increased in the past decade.IES National Center for Education Statistics, May 2010

New Survey Finds Schools Facing Growing Budget Cuts and the End of Stimulus Funding
Students and school systems across the nation are facing serious challenges as a result of the economic downturn, according to a new survey of school administrators released today by the American Association of School Administrators. AASA

2010 Education Appropriations Guide
The New America Foundation's Federal Education Budget Project(FEBP) released an issue brief on recently finalized fiscal year 2010 federal education appropriations. The New America Foundation, December 15, 2009

State of the States in Gifted Education
The National Association for Gifted Children released its annual "State of the States in Gifted Education" report finding large disparities in state funding for schooling students labeled "gifted". National Association for Gifted Children, November 23, 2009

The cost burden to Minnesota K-12 when children are unprepared for kindergarten
This study finds the k-12 school system in Minnesota loses $113 million annually because students are unprepared for kindergarten. by Richard Chase, Brandon Coffee-Borden, Paul Anton, Christopher Moore, and Jennifer Valorose, Wilder R, 1/23/2009

Innovation
In a report released by the Brookings Institution, New America Foundation’s Sara Mead and Education Sector’s co-director Andrew Rotherham proposed that the federal government provide funding for innovation and experiment.
12/12/2008

Facing the Future: Financing Productive Schools
The Brookings Institution and the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington released the final report of a six-year study examining the finances of K-12 school districts.
Center on Reinventing Public Education - Paul Hill, Marguerite Roza, and James Harvey, 11/12/2008

Are Private High Schools Better Academically Than Public High Schools?
The study released by the Center on Education Policy (CEP) examines 12 years of data that finds students who attended private schools didn't have much of an advantage over their peers who attended public high schools in regard to test scores, career happiness, and civic engagement. Family involvement is key and the study finds that low-income students from urban public high schools generally did as well if they had a good support system.
Center on Education Policy (CEP) - Harold Wenglinsky, 10/10/2007

Creating a Successful Performance Compensation System for Educators This report, funded by the Joyce Foundation, offers guidelines on creating a successful system for rewarding educators based on their performance. Reporters will probably find the stories of school systems where this practice is being used helpful. National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, 7/24/2007

School District Perspectives on State Capacity
This report is a supplement to another CEP report, "Educational Architects: Do State Education Agencies Have the Capacity to Implement NCLB?" It confirms that state education agencies are playing a significant role in assisting Title I school districts in carrying out the requirements of No Child Left Behind.
Center on Education Policy - Deanna D. Hill, 7/19/2007

The Condition of Education 2007
High school students in the United States are taking more courses in mathematics and science, as well as social studies, the arts, and foreign languages, according to an analysis of high school student coursework that is highlighted in this government report. Statistics on student achievement, school environment and a wide range of other topics related to early childhood education through postsecondary education are also included.
by National Center for Education Statistics, 5/1/2007

Performance Pay for Teachers: Designing a System that Students Deserve
Teachers from across the United States authored this report that concludes teachers would support pay for performance plans that "advance student achievement and the teaching profession." The report recommends rewarding teachers who raise student achievement while working in small groups or agree to work in high-needs schools and paying teachers according to their success in the classroom, not their level of education or experience.
Center for Teaching Quality, 4/11/2007

Funding Gaps 2006 School finance policy choices at the federal, state, and district levels systematically stack the deck against students who need the most support from their schools, according to a report released Dec. 20, 2006 by the Education Trust. Education Trust - Goodwin Liu,Marguerite Roza, Ross Wiener and Eli Pristoop, 12/20/2006

Tough Choices or Tough Times
A bi-partisan commission, comprised of former Cabinet secretaries, governors, college presidents and business, civic and labor leaders, is calling for a total shakeup in how America educates its people. Its findings include ending high school at 10th grade, revamping and reducing pension systems, collective bargaining at the state -- instead of local -- level.
by The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce , 12/15/2006

GROWTH and DISPARITY: A Decade of U.S.Public School Construction 1995-2004 pdf Despite record spending on school construction, low-income and minority students, who already experience disadvantages, have had far less investment in their school facilities than their more affluent, white counterparts. 21st Century School Fund - Mary W. Filardo, 10/27/2006

The Condition of Education 2006
The 2006 Condition on Education summarizes important trends and developments in education. The report includes 50 indicators in five main areas: (1) participation in education; (2) learner outcomes; (3) student effort and educational progress; (4) the contexts of elementary and secondary education; and (5) the contexts of postsecondary education.
National Center for Education Statistics - Patrick Rooney, William Hussar and Michael Planty, 6/1/2006

Education Spending and Changing Revenue Sources pdf Some school districts have the ability to set their own spending or revenue levels, while others depend on a city, town, or county to raise revenues. This one-page analysis looks at changes in school financing by type of school district. Tax Policy Center - Sonya Hoo, Sheila Murray and Kim Rueben, 4/14/2006

Standard & Poors Issues New Reports on the Performance of School Districts in 21 States pdf Standard & Poors' SchoolMatters released reports on funding and academic performance in 5,000 school districts in 21 states. This data is presented in a demographic context - meaning that the level of student learning, achievement and personal development is measured within a district's available resources. Standard & Poors - SchoolMatters, 3/29/2006

Full Day Kindergarten pdf
Full Day Kindergarten: A Study of State Policies in the United States looks at how many states provide full-time kindergarten and makes recommendations to state policy-makers on the most effective methods of implementing full day kindergarten.
Education Commission of the States, 7/27/2005

Does No Child Left Behind Place a Fiscal Burden on States? pdf Two researchers who looked at funding in Texas conclude that complying with the NCLB mandates does cost substantially more than is provided by the federal government. 1/4/2005

Alarms Sounded As Federal Ed. Cuts Loom

A pair of new reports raise dire warnings about the impact on school districts and federal education programs from the sweeping, across-the-board spending cuts set to hit all federal agencies in early January if Congress doesn't act to head them off. Of those surveyed, nearly 70 percent are betting they'll have to cut professional development,, and 58 percent say they'd expect to cut enrichment, after-school, and other programs. More than half say they anticipate laying off instructional staff and boosting class size. Alyson Klein, Education Week, July 10, 2012

In Memphis Classrooms, the Ghost of Segregation Lingers On

Manassas, an all-black, nearly all-poor school, has a lot going for it: a new building, a new set of intensely dedicated teachers who willingly work on Saturdays, and the attention — and money — of national foundations and advocacy groups. The school could be a poster child for the “no-excuses” education reform movement, which argues that schools and teachers should be able to help all students succeed, regardless of the challenges they face outside of school. But the reforms that drove its success are now up in the air. Sarah Garland, The Hechinger Report, Feb. 14, 2012

Education Gap Grows Between Rich and Poor, Studies Say

Education was historically considered a great equalizer in American society, capable of lifting less advantaged children and improving their chances for success as adults. But a body of recently published scholarship suggests that the achievement gap between rich and poor children is widening, a development that threatens to dilute education’s leveling effects. Sabrina Tavernise, The New York Times, Feb. 9, 2012

Pink Slips and Recalls Part of Job Description for Many Ohio Teachers

Last spring more than 700 Cleveland teachers were laid off. About 300 of them were called back in the fall, only to be laid off, again, a week later. For many Ohio teachers, job insecurity comes with the territory. Ida Lieszkovszky, StateImpact Eye on Education, Sept. 6, 2011

Wisconsin Teacher Retirements Double After Cuts To Benefits And Collective Bargaining

Documents obtained by The Associated Press under the state's open records law show that about twice as many public school teachers decided to hang it up in the first half of this year as in each of the past two full years, part of a mass exit of public employees. Scott Bauer, Associated Press, Aug. 31, 2011

With Post-Its and Checklists, Schools Cut Their Energy Bills

Schools, once known as energy wasters, are embracing conservation in increasing numbers. A desire to practice the environmentally friendly principles discussed in classrooms has been heightened by soaring energy costs and tighter budgets. Winnie Hu, New York Times, Aug. 14, 2011

Teachers Across The Country Face Layoffs

Teacher contracts expire in many places Friday, and for many teachers, those contracts won't be picked back up. State budget deficits and increased cuts are taking their toll on school districts around the country. All Things Considered, NPR, July 1, 2011

Calif. Superintendent Says Unequal Funding Could Lead to Lawsuit

If California doesn’t act soon to fix inequities in public education funding, it could face a civil rights lawsuit. That’s the message from State Superintendent Tom Torlakson. Joanne Faryon and Kevin Crowe, Watchdog Institute, June 8, 2011

The Math of Heartbreak in Levittown

Reporter Michael Sokolove provides a first-person account of budget troubles that threaten to undo significant progress in his hometown's struggling school system. New York Times, May 21, 2011

How Bumping Adds to School Layoff Chaos

It's a phenomenon that echoes last-in-first-out layoffs for teachers. Yet bumping, a process that allows seasoned school workers to grab the jobs of the less experienced when their jobs are cut, happens to workers who don’t teach, and tends to attract less attention. Emily Alpert, VoiceOfSanDiego.org, May 23, 2011

Will Work For Reading

The Salem-Keizer Budget Committee was tasked with shoring up a $55 million general fund shortfall. The move to cut elementary and middle school librarians, approved by the budget committee last week, would save the district $3.8 million or 6.1 percent of the total needed to be cut from the budget. At the beginning of the next school year, the libraries will be devoid of its protector. Jodi Kerr and Shawn Estes, Salem Week, May 17, 2011

The Disgraceful Interrogation of L.A. School Librarians

In a basement downtown, the librarians are being interrogated. The librarians are guilty of nothing except earning salaries the district feels the need to cut. But as they're cross-examined by determined Los Angeles Unified School District attorneys, they're continually put on the defensive. Hector Tobar, Los Angeles Times, May 13, 2011

Back to School for the Billionaires

They hoped their cash could transform failing classrooms. They were wrong. Newsweek investigates what their money bought. Rita Beamish, Center for Public Inquiry, May 1, 2011

Public schools: Is California's middle class heading for the exits?

It's the hot topic outside the kindergarten room, at fundraising tables and after morning drop-off. Parents are asking: How much more can California lop off public education before they bolt for private schools? For public schools, 2011-12 could be a turning point. Sharon Noguchi, San Jose Mercury News, April 26, 2011

Charter Schools Suffer Leadership Shortages

Unlike traditional public schools, most charters don’t have the resources of a school district — such as recruitment teams or pools of resumes — to find new leaders quickly. And turnover at the top level in charters is high. Sarah Butrymowicz, Washington Post, April 24, 2011

For AP Students, a New Classroom Is Online

Advanced-placement classes have been booming amid efforts by high-school students and parents to trim college tuition costs and gain an edge in the college-admissions race.The courses, however, can be expensive for schools to offer. For students in districts facing budget cuts, online courses are becoming an increasingly popular option. Sue Shellenbarger, Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2011

Singled-out L.A. Unified Teacher Shares Skills With Colleagues

Miguel Aguilar was cited as among L.A. Unified's most effective in an L.A. Times article on the 'value-added' evaluation method. Since then, many at his Pacoima school have adopted his methods. But budget cuts threaten his job. Jason Felch, Los Angeles Times, April 3, 2011

Study Says Charter Network Has Financial Advantages Over Public Schools

Most charter schools receive less government money for each student, on average, than traditional public schools. But the KIPP network, one of the fastest-growing and most academically successful charter groups, has received more taxpayer dollars per student than regular public schools, according to a new study, which also noted that KIPP receives substantial amounts of private philanthropic money. Sam Dillon, New York Times, March 31, 2011

When Standardized Test Scores Soared in D.C., Were the Gains Real?

A USA Today investigation found that for the past three school years most of Crosby S. Noyes Education Campus classrooms had extraordinarily high numbers of erasures on standardized tests. The consistent pattern was that wrong answers were erased and changed to right ones. Noyes is one of 103 public schools that have had erasure rates that surpassed D.C. averages at least once since 2008. That's more than half of D.C. schools. Jack Gillum and Marisol Bello, USA Today, March 28, 2011

Baltimore school buyout aims to reduce 'surplus' teachers

Baltimore City schools' recent offer of an early retirement package for its most experienced teachers is partly an attempt to cut the expense of having 100 more educators than positions this year, a trend that has cost the district $18 million since 2008. Erica L. Green, Baltimore Sun, March 4, 2011

States Slow to Tap 'Edujobs' Funding

As states and school districts approach a multi-billion-dollar funding cliff later this year when most of the money runs out under the federal economic-stimulus program, they are slowly tapping the separate $10 billion Education Jobs Fund to help them ride out a rocky recovery from a deep recession. Michele McNeil, Education Week, March 1, 2011

How Teacher Development Could Revolutionize Our Schools

As the nation's governors gather in Washington for their annual meeting, they are grappling with more than state budget deficits. They're confronting deep education deficits as well. Bill Gates, Washington Post, Feb. 28, 2011

Can We Improve Education By Increasing Class Size?

Bill Gates is right that a lower class size doesn't automatically guarantee that student achievement will take place, but the further gutting of public education, and the need for districts to save money, shouldn't drive long-term policy decisions about what's best for kids. Liz Dwyer, GOOD Magazine, March 1, 2011

Study Finds Funding Gap Between D.C. Specialty and Neighborhood Schools

The two public high schools, 2 1/2 miles apart in Northwest Washington, serve vastly different student populations. And they do it with vastly different levels of financial support, according to an analysis of school spending by a District advocacy group. Bill Turque, Washington Post, Feb. 6, 2011

Charter schools expand with public, private money

Nationwide, less than 4 percent of public school students are enrolled in charters, but that number is expected to rise significantly because of increased financial and political support. More than a dozen states loosened restrictions on charters over the past year for a chance to win a share of the federal $4.3 billion Race to the Top school reform competition. Associated Press, Jan. 21, 2011

Sweeping Study Weighs School Districts' 'Educational Productivity'

A report from a progressive think tank measuring the “educational productivity” of more than 9,000 school districts around the country shows that districts getting the most for their money tend to spend more on teachers and less on administration, partner with their communities to save money, and have school boards willing to make potentially unpopular decisions, like closing underenrolled schools. Christina A. Samuels, Education Week, Jan. 19, 2011

Without Aid, Detroit May Close Half of its Public Schools

Under Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb's plan, Detroit Public Schools would slim down from 142 schools now to 72 during 2012-13. Bobb is attempting to slash a $327 million deficit in the district to zero over the next several years. Jennifer Chambers, The Detroit News, Jan. 12, 2011

The big squeeze is on in California classes

Caught in a budget meltdown, the state is forcing schools to abandon one of the most popular education reforms -- smaller class sizes. The frustrations are already showing in San Jose Unified, which boosted class sizes by 50 percent for its youngest students last school year. With the state facing a yawning $28 billion budget gap, more districts are almost certain to follow. Sharon Noguchi, The San Jose Mercury News, Jan. 9, 2011

Educators Regroup in Recession's Aftermath

States and school districts have seen their tax bases wither over the past two years, and the financial picture looks bleak for years to come. At least 46 states, plus the District of Columbia, struggled to close budget shortfalls heading into fiscal 2011, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research organization in Washington. Sean Cavanagh, Education Week, Jan. 5, 2010

Congress unlikely to extend hand to ailing states

States will continue to face substantial deficits over the next few years, but they will have to get by with the end of stimulus spending and less financial help from the federal government. In recent interviews, top GOP lawmakers made clear it will be much less. Judy Lin and John O'Connor, Associated Press, Jan. 6, 2011

With high hopes for test scores, school district invests in iPod touches and iPads

During a time of budget reductions -- employees must take 14 furlough days this school year -- Oregon's Canby School District has issued an iPod touch to every third-grader, challenging the idea that digital technology exists largely as a distraction for a plugged-in generation. Nicole Dungca, The Oregonian, Jan. 1, 2011

Georgia Schools Offer Lesson In Living With Cutbacks

In Franklin County, Ga., the faltering economy has meant longer school days, a shorter calendar, fewer teachers. As the economy continues to falter, many governors are already warning of more budget cuts. The single biggest expense for most states is public school funding, and districts across the country have been making drastic cuts to staff and programs. Kathy Lohr, NPR, Dec. 29, 2010

Bob Edwards interviews Interim CEO of Chicago schools Terry Mazany

Terry Mazany is the interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools, the third largest district in the country. When he was appointed in November, Mazany immediately announced that he will not keep the post after a new mayor is elected in 2011. Edwards talks with Mazany about his top priorities over the next few months, the most pressing issues facing the district, and collaborating with the teachers' union. Bob Edwards Weekend, Dec. 30, 2010

Prisons the Biggest Recipient of Alabama's Education Stimulus Dollars

Alabama’s biggest recipient of federal education stimulus dollars thus far is not a local school system or a college: It’s the Department of Corrections, according to a Press-Register analysis. The analysis came out of an EWA Education Research and Statistics Boot Camp project. Rena Havner Phillips, Press-Register, Dec. 19, 2010

In Hard Times Small Schools Must Change To Survive

Oregon’s recent financial woes have pushed some of the state’s smallest school districts to make some huge changes.Twelve of the state’s 16 smallest districts have become charter school districts. Administrators say the additional grant funding and flexibility are keeping their doors open.Rob Manning, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Dec. 15, 2010

Poll: Education Backed, But Not New School Taxes

The public verdict is in and overwhelming: The better the education people get, the stronger the U.S. economy will be, a poll shows. But don't count on folks to support higher taxes to improve schools. Eric Gorski and Alan Fram, Associated Press, Dec. 9, 2010

Prosecutor Says Baltimore School Officials Stonewalled Investigation into Tutoring Fraud 

Maryland State Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh today is blasting Baltimore City Public School officials for stonewalling investigators and refusing to turn over documents, as his office sought to build a case against the owner of a private tutoring company which allegedly bilked the system out of more than $100,000 using a fraudulent-billing scam. Fern Shen and Oliver Hulland, Baltimore Brew, Nov. 13, 2010. A journalist whose signature was forged recounts her story.

Sloppy Bookkeeping, Errors, Plague School Stimulus Spending

The 2009 federal stimulus money for schools is almost all spent by now in New Jersey, but it’s still drawing attention from state monitors and raising questions as to how it was spent. John Mooney, New Jersey Spotlight, Nov. 8, 2010

Needing Students, Maine School Hunts in China

Faced with dropping enrollment and revenue, the high school in Millinocket, Maine has fixed on an unlikely source of salvation: Chinese teenagers. Abby Goodnough, The New York Times, Oct. 27, 2010

Enrollment Slide Continues at Michigan County's Private Schools

Kalamazoo County’s private schools continued to be battered by the economy and demographics, with most schools reporting enrollment drops this year. Julie Mack, Kalamazoo Gazette, Sept. 20, 2010

Education's less-than-certain windfall
It sounded at first like the best of news for South Carolina. The $26 billion jobs bill passed by Congress earlier this month would send $143.7 million to the state, which has lost between 2,800 and 3,900 teaching jobs over the past two years. David Harrison, Stateline Staff Writer, Sept. 8, 2010

Many States Adopt National Standards for Their Schools
Less than two months after the nation’s governors and state school chiefs released their final recommendations for national education standards, 27 states have adopted them and about a dozen more are expected to do so in the next two weeks. Tamar Lewin, New York Times, July 21, 2010

Pension rules allow educators to double dip

A taxpayer-funded state pension system encourages career teachers and administrators to retire in their 50s, tap the fund and return to work. If the educators don't retire at that relatively young age after 30 years of service, they are likely to receive far less income in both their working careers and retirement. And much is at stake - for both educators and taxpayers. Dennis Willard, Ohio Newspapers, June 20, 2010

The Stimulus and Schools: Where Did the Money Go?
New York is a city of tremendous disparities. There are schools where almost all of the students are poor enough to get free lunch. But there are others where hardly any students are eligible. Yet, an investigation by WNYC found the schools with the greatest needs got less stimulus money on aggregate than those with wealthier students. But schools with poor students actually had more resources to fall back upon during last year’s budget cuts.Beth Fertig, WNYC, June 9, 2010

States Grapple With Funding Education Amid Budget Shortfalls
Classroom cuts are looming, as the school year winds down for many states facing budget shortfalls. Jeffrey Brown, PBS NewsHour, June 7, 2010

In Teacher Layoffs, Seniority Rules. But Should It?
School districts around the country are planning massive layoffs as they struggle to bridge big budget deficits. And as they select which teachers go and which ones stay, many can only use one factor as their guide: seniority. Many districts will have to cast out effective teachers, because local contracts and even state laws require it. Larry Abramson, National Public Radio, June 3, 2010

Atlanta-area superintendents retain huge salaries
The Atlanta Journal- Constitution investigates metro school superintendents salaries and finds despite record cutbacks to budgets, leaders still receive hefty compensation. Mary Lou Pickel, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 24, 2010

Push to Spur Innovation Raises Hope - and Eyebrows
The decision by a dozen major education grantmakers to team up on an initiative designed to dovetail with the federal Investing in Innovation grant competition is being seen by supporters as a chance to maximize the power of public and private resources to help transform K-12 education. But it’s also renewing concerns that the Obama administration and the philanthropic sector are becoming too intertwined—in ways that could crowd out support for worthy reform ideas not favored by the federal government. Erik W. Robelen and Michele McNeil, Education Week, May 7, 2010

Poorer TN schools will get most Race to the Top aid
Tennessee schools are set to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid through the Race to the Top program, but districts can expect to get vastly different amounts from the effort to raise the state's education standards.How much each district gets will be tied to poverty measures, meaning that urban and poor rural districts will get many times more money per pupil from the program than their suburban counterparts. Chas Sisk, The Tennessean, April 15, 2010

Obama's plan to reward schools for innovation sparks congressional debate
President Obama aims to reinvent the Education Department as a venture capitalist for school reform, investing more in schools with innovative ideas. The proposal splits congressional Democrats. They are staunch protectors of education funding for their states and districts, but many worry about promoting innovation at the expense of equity.Nick Anderson, Washington Post, April 13, 2010