A public high school is entrusted with millions of dollars of public investment to support the education of its students. In most states, a large portion of the budget comes from the state government through per-pupil allocations, which are based on student enrollment and vary by state and locality. Each state has its own formula for determining the baseline funding amount for students, and local districts can supplement that base amount.
\nAdditional public funds are available, too, from federal, state, and local sources. On average, less than 10% of a school’s funding comes from federal sources, but those dollars may be particularly important: federal funding supports special education, school meals, and—through the federal Title I program—additional supports for highest needs schools. States and localities may have similar programs that supplement funding over and above the state minimum per pupil amount.
\nEach funding stream comes with stringent guidelines and constraints, but most allow for more flexibility than many people realize. Waivers from certain restrictions may also be available if a school has a strong rationale.
\nFinancial oversight varies, depending on how a school is organized and governed:
\nOnce a school has established a financial plan, it will need to manage its finances carefully—a responsibility that requires precision, capacity, and a commitment to accountability. Every school needs someone, usually the principal or assistant principal, who knows the budget inside out and can handle routine transactions that are part of running any school. (Some schools hire a CFO or other staff member to manage finances.) That person also needs to be familiar with public school finance regulations, reporting calendars, and auditing processes for their state and locality. These are available from each state’s department of education.
\nAnd it’s also important for others in the school—the leadership team, teachers, families, and even students—to have a working understanding of the overall budget so they can help set priorities and ask good questions about where money is allocated.
\n","bgColor":"white","showShape":null,"showButton":null,"buttonLabel":null,"buttonPDF":null},{"fieldGroupName":"DesignPage_Designpagesmodules_ContentBlocks_ReadMoreLinks","eyebrow":null,"headline":"Dive Deep","bgColor":"white","addIcon":null,"items":[{"image":{"alt":"a hand placing a ball bearing on a track","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/inabox/static/f0649d72eafb3857208f5e238ccac62d/db189/SchoolMissionCulture_Synthesize_DiveDeep__05.png","srcSet":"/inabox/static/f0649d72eafb3857208f5e238ccac62d/f054e/SchoolMissionCulture_Synthesize_DiveDeep__05.png 750w,\n/inabox/static/f0649d72eafb3857208f5e238ccac62d/db189/SchoolMissionCulture_Synthesize_DiveDeep__05.png 900w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[{"srcSet":"/inabox/static/f0649d72eafb3857208f5e238ccac62d/4f03f/SchoolMissionCulture_Synthesize_DiveDeep__05.webp 750w,\n/inabox/static/f0649d72eafb3857208f5e238ccac62d/3987a/SchoolMissionCulture_Synthesize_DiveDeep__05.webp 900w","type":"image/webp","sizes":"100vw"}]},"width":1,"height":1}}}},"buttonText":"Read","text":"Get schooled on how state funding formulas work. This report from the Urban Institute outlines the most common formulas states use to allocate dollars to districts and schools.","title":"How School Funding Formulas Work","link":"https://apps.urban.org/features/funding-formulas/","excludefromresources":null},{"image":{"alt":"monitor showing code","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/inabox/static/877864b57c38f23f4f1192641578c36f/db189/Develop_LandingPage__0003_ilya-pavlov-OqtafYT5kTw-unsplash.png","srcSet":"/inabox/static/877864b57c38f23f4f1192641578c36f/f054e/Develop_LandingPage__0003_ilya-pavlov-OqtafYT5kTw-unsplash.png 750w,\n/inabox/static/877864b57c38f23f4f1192641578c36f/db189/Develop_LandingPage__0003_ilya-pavlov-OqtafYT5kTw-unsplash.png 900w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[{"srcSet":"/inabox/static/877864b57c38f23f4f1192641578c36f/4f03f/Develop_LandingPage__0003_ilya-pavlov-OqtafYT5kTw-unsplash.webp 750w,\n/inabox/static/877864b57c38f23f4f1192641578c36f/3987a/Develop_LandingPage__0003_ilya-pavlov-OqtafYT5kTw-unsplash.webp 900w","type":"image/webp","sizes":"100vw"}]},"width":1,"height":1}}}},"buttonText":"Read","text":"A brief from the National School Boards Association makes the connection between improving student achievement and wise allocation of resources.","title":"Using Data and Resources Wisely ","link":"https://cdn-files.nsba.org/s3fs-public/reports/keys-to-board-excellence.pdf?G8KIww3Q12gKM0w27IPv5vBq9REk2XQs ","excludefromresources":null},{"image":{"alt":"a teacher and students woorking","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/inabox/static/8c31478bdb0bc81f345593247365ea9e/db189/SchoolMissionCulture_Fact1_DiveDeep__04.png","srcSet":"/inabox/static/8c31478bdb0bc81f345593247365ea9e/f054e/SchoolMissionCulture_Fact1_DiveDeep__04.png 750w,\n/inabox/static/8c31478bdb0bc81f345593247365ea9e/db189/SchoolMissionCulture_Fact1_DiveDeep__04.png 900w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[{"srcSet":"/inabox/static/8c31478bdb0bc81f345593247365ea9e/4f03f/SchoolMissionCulture_Fact1_DiveDeep__04.webp 750w,\n/inabox/static/8c31478bdb0bc81f345593247365ea9e/3987a/SchoolMissionCulture_Fact1_DiveDeep__04.webp 900w","type":"image/webp","sizes":"100vw"}]},"width":1,"height":1}}}},"buttonText":"Read","text":"BoardOnTrack spells out the purpose and responsibilities of the finance committee of a charter school board. ","title":"Financial Roles and Capacity ","link":"https://boardontrack.com/blog/what-is-a-finance-committee/","excludefromresources":null},{"image":{"alt":"a pen and paper","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/inabox/static/32ab62e29f17daa33e8e894d3da5604e/db189/Studentsin21Century_Fact3_DiveDeep__03-1.png","srcSet":"/inabox/static/32ab62e29f17daa33e8e894d3da5604e/f054e/Studentsin21Century_Fact3_DiveDeep__03-1.png 750w,\n/inabox/static/32ab62e29f17daa33e8e894d3da5604e/db189/Studentsin21Century_Fact3_DiveDeep__03-1.png 900w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[{"srcSet":"/inabox/static/32ab62e29f17daa33e8e894d3da5604e/4f03f/Studentsin21Century_Fact3_DiveDeep__03-1.webp 750w,\n/inabox/static/32ab62e29f17daa33e8e894d3da5604e/3987a/Studentsin21Century_Fact3_DiveDeep__03-1.webp 900w","type":"image/webp","sizes":"100vw"}]},"width":1,"height":1}}}},"buttonText":"Read","text":"Strategic budgeting begins with principles such as transparency, stakeholder engagement, and analysis of ROI. This tool from Education Resource Strategies was designed for districts, but it’s great for schools, too.","title":"Budget Development Checklist","link":"https://www.erstrategies.org/cms/files/3996-strategic-budget-process-checklist.pdf","excludefromresources":null}]},{"fieldGroupName":"DesignPage_Designpagesmodules_ContentBlocks_ActivityBlock","text":"To build an effective budget, start by exploring the financial landscape for high schools in your community.
\nYou can learn a lot by looking at the actual budgets of schools in your community, network, region, or state. Gather a few comparable school budgets and look at them closely. Talk to experienced people—including finance staff in your school district, charter network, or state department of education—about what you can expect, how much flexibility you’ll have, and what constraints you’ll need to work within.
\nIf you’re redesigning an existing school, examine your current budget and ask questions about it, so you understand how much money is available and how it’s allocated. Reach out to other high schools that have made student-centered innovations to understand how they have financed those.
\nIf you’re creating a new school, get in touch with people who are leading innovative schools in your community or state; ask to see their budgets and for any advice they might have. If your district or charter network uses a particular budget template, ask for it.
\nShare your observations with your team and discuss these questions:
\n