Eleanor Finch
In the United States, the majority of funds and guidelines for public education are provided by state and local governments, with a significant portion coming from local property taxes. The federal government contributes through national policies, student loans, grants, and work-study programs, particularly at the higher education level. The US reached a demographic milestone in July 2011 when, for the first time, the majority of new members of society—children under the age of 1—were non-white. This emerging majority-minority population constituted 50.4% of babies born in American society during that period.
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What You'll Learn
- Public education funding comes from state and local governments
- Local property taxes are a significant source of funding
- The federal government provides student loans and grants
- Vouchers are funded by tax revenues, tax credits, or private organisations
- Federal funds support schools with large low-income student populations
Public education funding comes from state and local governments
In the United States, public education funding comes primarily from state and local governments, with a significant portion deriving from local property taxes. The federal government also contributes, but its role is relatively minor in comparison to that of state and local governments.
The majority of funding for public education is managed and distributed at the state and local levels, with states setting statewide guidelines that all schools in the state must meet. Local communities have control over their schools and provide the majority of the funding, often through local property taxes. This means that funding for public education can vary significantly from state to state and even within states, depending on the local sources of funding. For example, in the 2017–2018 school year, local sources accounted for 45.3% of total revenue in Vermont, while in New Hampshire, they accounted for 63.4%.
State governments also play a crucial role in funding public education, providing a substantial portion of the total funding. In the 2020–2021 school year, state funding for K-12 education in Alabama totalled $5.53 billion, or $7,358 per student, while in Alaska, it totalled $1.60 billion, or $12,267 per student. These variations in state funding amounts can be attributed to differences in state budgets, priorities, and the number of students being served.
The federal government's role in public education funding is more limited, focusing primarily on higher education through student loans, grants, and work-study programs. However, the federal government does provide some support for elementary and secondary education, particularly through national policies aimed at increasing resources for non-traditional programs and helping poorer schools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government also provided additional assistance to schools through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 and other legislative acts.
Despite the combined efforts of state, local, and federal governments, public education funding in the United States has been criticised for falling short of international benchmarks and for its inequitable distribution, particularly in high-poverty areas. There have been calls for an overhaul of the school finance system, with a larger role for the federal government, to ensure more consistent and equitable funding for all students.
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Local property taxes are a significant source of funding
Property taxes are commonly based on the value of homes and business real estate, with the incidence of these taxes shared between property owners, renters, and business owners. Localities in every state levy property taxes, with cities and counties in Connecticut and Maine collecting the highest share (98%) of their total tax revenue from them.
While property taxes are a significant source of funding, they are not without their challenges. Studies have shown that property tax assessments can disproportionately benefit white homeowners while burdening Black and Latino households. Additionally, tax limitations can create difficulties for cities and counties trying to balance their budgets while maintaining expected service levels.
To address these challenges, policymakers must ensure local governments have the tools to manage unexpected budget crises and improve their fiscal health. Well-structured local tax policies are essential to supporting communities and advancing fairness. Furthermore, states often use exemptions, deductions, and credits to lower a property's taxable value or the taxpayer's payment, providing relief to homeowners.
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The federal government provides student loans and grants
The federal government offers a range of student loans and grants to support students from different backgrounds and with varying financial needs. One of the most common grants is the Federal Pell Grant, which is designed for low-income and middle-income undergraduate students. In addition to grants, the federal government also provides student loans, which are borrowed money that must be repaid with interest. The federal student loan portfolio is managed by the office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), which works with outside companies to help borrowers with their loan payments.
The FSA also maintains and collects data from participating colleges, universities, and technical and vocational programs to provide transparency and allow taxpayers and families to analyze and compare key metrics such as student admissions, academic outcomes, graduation rates, and need-based aid eligibility. This data transparency ensures accountability and enables informed decision-making for students and their families.
In addition to providing financial aid, the US Department of Education has a broader role in supporting education across the country. The department employs over 4,000 people and has an annual budget of $79 billion. It tracks student achievement, manages financial aid for K-12 schools, and provides funding for students with disabilities and those from lower-income communities. The department also oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), considered the gold standard of student achievement tests in core subjects such as reading, math, and science.
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Vouchers are funded by tax revenues, tax credits, or private organisations
In the United States, the majority of funds and guidelines for public education are provided by state and local governments, with a significant portion deriving from local property taxes. The federal government contributes through national policies, student loans, grants, and work-study programs, particularly at the higher education level.
School vouchers are funded by tax revenues, tax credits, or private organisations. They give parents the freedom to choose a private or religious school for their children, using all or part of the public funding set aside for their children's education. Under such a program, funds typically spent by a school district would be allocated to a participating family in the form of a voucher to pay partial or full tuition. Vouchers are also known as tuition grants.
Vouchers are funded by the government, which can cause funds for public schools to be reduced. Private-school vouchers affect government budgets through additional direct voucher expenditures and public school cost savings from lower enrolments. Voucher programs would be paid for by the government's education budget, which would be subtracted from the public school's budget. This might affect the public school system by giving them less to spend on their students' education.
Empirical studies show that school vouchers can lead to racial or income segregation. However, there is also research that shows that, under certain circumstances, income and racial segregation can be reduced indirectly by increasing school choice. School voucher programs, if well-designed, can improve students' academic performance and foster more racial and socioeconomic integration.
Opponents of school vouchers argue that they erode educational standards and reduce funding for public schools. They also argue that giving money to parents who choose to send their children to a religious or other private school is unconstitutional. Another argument against a school voucher system is its lack of accountability to taxpayers.
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Federal funds support schools with large low-income student populations
In the United States, public schools are funded through a combination of local, state, and federal dollars. Local and state governments typically provide most of the funding, with the federal government covering the rest. During the 2021–22 school year, the federal share of public K-12 education funding was 13.7%, the highest since 1989–90. Federal funding for schools depends on factors such as poverty levels, student demographics, the availability of state and local revenues, and whether a district is urban, suburban, or rural.
The federal government provides a small share of education funding through specific grant programs, which are designed to supplement funding for schools with at-risk youth, including students with disabilities or from low-income households. Federal funding is especially important during economic downturns, when it helps to make up for diminished school funding from state and local sources.
The federal government also provides support for students with disabilities through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, which authorizes (but does not mandate) the government to supply up to 40% of special education funds. During the 2022 fiscal year, the federal government provided $12.5 billion in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants to states. These funds are awarded based on a state's total population with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21, the percentage living in poverty, and the state's IDEA appropriations in 1999.
The federal government also allocated $29 billion for child nutrition in 2022, reimbursing schools that provided free or reduced-price lunches to eligible students. Additionally, the Head Start program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, provides free preschool and related services for children from low-income families.
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Frequently asked questions
A majority-minority area is a term used to describe a US state or jurisdiction whose population is made up of less than 50% non-Hispanic whites. It is defined as an area with a collective majority of nationwide minorities, meaning a grouping of racial and ethnic groups that comprise over 50% of the population.
As of the 2020 Census, Washington, D.C., California, and New Mexico are examples of states classified as majority-minority areas.
A 2006 study by The Civil Rights Project found that schools with a majority-minority status have the worst facilities, least qualified teachers, the worst overcrowding, and the least financial support.
The US federal government provides resources for education through national policies, student loans, grants, and work-study programs, particularly at the higher education level. The federal government also provides funds to SEAs, which are then allocated to LEAs and schools with large percentages of students from low-income, under-resourced families.
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