Budget & Finance
Education news, analysis, and opinion about district and school finances and budgets.
- Budget & Finance District Leaders Want More Time to Spend ESSER Funds as Plans Go AstrayOrders aren't arriving on time. Hiring is hard. Chief financial officers want the feds to relieve the pressure.Budget & Finance What It Takes to Stay on Top of Improving School FacilitiesBe proactive, especially with winning community support, district leaders advise.Budget & Finance Districts Spend Up to a Third of Their Payroll on Pensions. What That Means for BudgetsDespite healthy returns in 2021, some districts' share of retirement benefits and debt servicing has crept up to high levels.Budget & Finance Teachers Take to Twitter to Crowdfund Classroom SuppliesTeacher wish lists posted under the hashtags #Clearthelists and #Adoptateacher are trending on Twitter.Budget & Finance From Our Research Center Despite Accusations of Hoarding, Districts Say They're Steadily Spending ESSER FundsMore than half of district leaders say they've spent more than three-quarters of their federal relief.Budget & Finance Inflation Is Putting the Squeeze on Schools. How Are They Coping?As schools get ready to welcome students back, they're paying more for food, fuel, construction materials, insurance, even paper.Budget & Finance Q&A How to Prepare for ESSER Spending Scrutiny: Advice From a Veteran AuditorSmaller districts, in particular, should be scrupulous in explaining and documenting how they spent their federal COVID-19 aid.Budget & Finance Interest Rates Are Going Up to Fight Inflation. Schools May Feel the Pain Either WayRising costs, expected higher wages, and diminished voter support for school levies have district leaders worried.SponsorThis content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.Join a diverse group of K-12 experts to learn how to leverage federal funds before they expire and improve student learning environments.Budget & Finance States Grill Districts on How They'll Spend Their ESSER Money for Learning RecoveryThe scrutiny is crucial for accountability, but can add delays in using billions in badly needed funds.Budget & Finance How Are Schools Spending ESSER Funds? 4 Takeaways From a New ReportMore than 4 in 10 districts have already obligated all their pandemic relief aid, while nearly a third are still getting started.Budget & Finance A Flood of Federal Cash and Then Layoffs. What Gives?Some districts are cutting dozens of positions or scaling back programs to account for declining enrollment and inflationary pressure.Budget & Finance Some Surprising Things Schools Might Have to Cut Because of Fuel Cost IncreasesA spike in transportation and delivery costs is forcing some administrators to cut classroom spending and increase school lunch prices.Budget & Finance Chicago Public Schools Asked to Repay $87 Million It Got From 'Coding Error'The state of Illinois will distribute the money to hundreds of school districts that were underpaid.Budget & Finance 10 Reasons Districts Struggle to Spend Federal Relief FundsSpending billions of dollars in federal relief is a lot harder for school districts than just writing a check or pushing a button.