How are public schools funded?
Public schools have been funded through a relatively stable mix of local, state, and federal funding sources. But just because the formula hasn’t changed much doesn’t mean the outcomes are equal. So how does school funding really break down, and why does it vary so widely across states?
- Most public school funding (86.3%) for the 2021 to 2022 school year came from state and local governments, primarily via income, retail, and property taxes. Federal sources accounted for 13.7%, often through Title I and IDEA grants.
- Public school funding in 2021–2022 was $909.2 billion, averaging $18,500 per student, though this masks large differences by state — from $11,500 in Idaho to $34,000 in New York.
- Each state has a different funding mix. For example, Vermont has the highest share of state funding (86.4%), New Hampshire has the highest share of local funding (61.7%), and Mississippi has the highest share of federal funding (23.2%).
- In the 2021–2022 school year, California’s public schools received about $20,600 per student from all funding sources combined. That’s about $2,100 more than the average US school. The federal government provided 13.9% of California school funding, while about 54.5% came from state sources.
- This month, Arkansasinstituted a law called “Bell to Bell, No Cell,” prohibiting students from using smartwatches and phones during the school day. About 42.9% of public-school funding in Arkansas came from state sources. Another 35.5% was from local programs. Federal funds provided the remaining 21.6%.
How does your state fund public schools? Explore the data for yourself, including the largest school districts in your state.Want to see more?
Transgender high schoolers and the data
About one in 30 high school students in the US identifies as transgender. Trans is an umbrella term to describe people whose gender identity is different from the sex they were assigned at birth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that transgender youth have more health challenges than their peers.
- In 2023, the CDC found that 3.3% of high schoolers identified as trans, and 93.3% identified as not trans. Another 2.2% of respondents were not sure.
- The survey found that more than half (53.8%) of trans high schoolers had seriously considered suicide, compared to 17.9% of non-trans high schoolers. And 25.7% of trans high schoolers had attempted suicide, compared to 8.1% of non-trans students.
- Trans students were more than twice as likely to have been bullied at school (42.6% vs. 17.3%) or online (33.8% vs. 14.5%) than students who are not trans.
- Trans students were also more than twice as likely as non-trans students to have experienced sexual violence (26.0% vs. 10.4%).
- Trans students were more likely than non-trans students to use marijuana (26.8% vs. 16.5%), use prescription pain medicine outside of guidance (22.9% vs. 10.1%), or try hallucinogens (11.5% vs. 5.1%). They were also over four times as likely to drive after consuming alcohol (19.3% vs. 4.2%).
Back to school by the numbers
The temperatures across the US might still say “summer,” but back-to-school time is here — or will be soon. We have a new hub for school stats that will get you ready for any pop quiz. Topics include:
- How are school districts funded?
- How many kids receive free school lunches?
- How much are teachers paid?
- What does the Department of Education do?
Data behind the news
President Trump has said he plans to issue an executive order to eliminate mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 elections for the House of Representatives and Senate. Nearly 50% of 2022 midterm voters reported voting early or by mail. Then, see how states have determined their voting methods.
Some global mail carriers are suspending shipments to the US citing confusion over new import duty rules. Our latest trade datalets you explore the value of imports and exports — including consumer goods — between the US and over 70 countries.
Ever had one of those bad dreams where you forgot to study for the big test? Good thing the answers to the weekly fact quiz are in last week’s newsletter.
One last fact
In January 2024, about 771,000 Americans were homeless, up 18% from 2023. That was about 23 out of every 10,000 people.
The rate rose the most in Hawaii, nearly doubling from 44.0 per 100,000 people in 2019 to 80.5 in 2024. The rate dropped slightly in Wyoming, Maryland, Mississippi, and Texas.