GreatSchools Unveils New Data on School District Finances

Data can help parents and policymakers advocate for more equitable spending

OAKLAND, CA (December 12, 2019) — GreatSchools.org, a national nonprofit empowering parents with information to unlock educational opportunities for their children, is proud to unveil new data on individual school districts’ revenue and spending. With this update, parents can better understand how a school district allocates its funds and take action to ensure that resources are allocated more equitably.

“A district’s financial decisions have a significant impact on school quality and children’s learning,” said Jon Deane, CEO of GreatSchools. “We hope that making the district financial data available in a transparent way will help families understand the investments being made in their local schools and empower them to advocate for more equitable spending.”

The financial data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics and is shown in the ‘District finances’ section of a district’s home page, which can be found through the search tool on GreatSchools.org. Users can review total district revenue, average revenue per student, revenue resources, total district spending and average spending per student. Users also can view a district’s spending by category, including the percentage spent on instruction, support services and other areas. The data is available for public school districts in the United States.

The availability of this information on GreatSchools.org offers all stakeholders—including families, policymakers and school leaders—an opportunity to examine and improve how resources are distributed within districts. The update also comes as the Every Student Succeeds Acts (ESSA) requires states, for the first time, to report the total per-pupil spending of federal, state and local money for each school and district in the state. ESSA also requires per-pupil spending data to be included on state and district annual report cards. As this data becomes more broadly available, the new ‘District finance’ module on GreatSchools.org can put it at parents’ fingertips in a clear and usable way.

“With more parents becoming involved in local school improvement,” continued Deane. “This information will better inform and equip them to ask questions and speak up for change. Parents deserve to be informed so they can work on changing the conditions of their schools for the better.”

About GreatSchools:
GreatSchools is the leading national nonprofit empowering parents with essential information to improve educational opportunities for their child. Using GreatSchools’ trusted ratings and school quality information, parents can find the right school for their family and take action to improve schools in their communities. Thousands of articles, tips and interactive tools offer parents easy-to-use resources to support their child’s learning and wellbeing every day. Families, community leaders and policymakers turn to GreatSchools for the school information they need to guide children to great futures.