State Budgets
Education Funding
School Funding Debates Are Raging in States, With Districts Caught in the Middle
School choice, historically inequitable funding, political partisanship, and funding predictability are among the issues at stake.
Education Funding
A Governor Boosted School Funding for the Next 400 Years. But the Reality Is More Complex
Wisconsin's governor enshrined mandatory K-12 funding increases in law until 2425—but the move may not be transformative for districts.
Student Well-Being
More States Call on Schools to Provide Period Products, But Many Don't Fund Mandates
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia require schools to stock free menstrual products for students, an analysis finds.
Education Funding
What Happens (or Doesn't) After Courts Order States to Improve School Funding
Pennsylvania is the latest state working on school funding reforms after a judge ruled its current approach unconstitutional.
Budget & Finance
How Much Money Do Public Schools Get? The Latest Numbers
America collectively spent more than $800 billion on K-12 education in 2021, according to newly available federal data.
School Choice & Charters
Do Vouchers and ESAs Take Money From Public Schools? How States Fund School Choice
Republican state lawmakers have ramped up programs that dedicate public funds for parents to spend on their children’s private education.
Budget & Finance
Special Education Is Getting More Expensive, Forcing Schools to Make Cuts Elsewhere
States and districts share the disproportionate cost burden of supporting a complex, growing, and vulnerable population.
Budget & Finance
The Ballooning Expense That's Cutting Into Funding for Students
The costs of retirement benefits and unfunded pension liabilities have grown far more quickly than overall spending on K-12 schools.
Education Funding
4 Ways States Are Trying to Fix How They Fund Schools
Advocates in many places are pushing for reforms that precisely target more robust aid to schools and students in need.
Education Funding
Pennsylvania School Funding Is Unconstitutional, Judge Says. Here's What Could Happen Next
An appeal could be on the way, but advocates are already gearing up to make the case for funding reform.
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
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.
Education Funding
6 Lawsuits That Could Shake Up How States Pay for Schools
Far removed from annual budgets, these lawsuits hold the potential to force states to direct more funds to their schools.
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.