Finance
School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Tacoma School District.
Per-pupil spending (2019)
$19,473
Total district expenditure
$590,630,000
Total district revenue
$554,452,000
District enrollment
30,330
Revenue sources
Federal$41,709,000(7.5%)
State$357,332,000(64.4%)
Local$155,411,000(28.0%)
Spending breakdown
Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$259,455,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)—
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, FY 2019. Figures cover the entire district; individual school-level spending is not published.
US public school funding 101
- Local revenue (property taxes) is typically the largest source in most states, though this varies widely.
- State revenue equalization formulas aim to reduce disparities between wealthy and poor districts.
- Federal revenue is usually 6-10% of budget — Title I (poverty), IDEA (special education), ESSER (COVID relief).
- Per-pupil spending varies from under $10,000 to over $30,000 across states; California averages around $15,000, New York around $28,000.