Finance
School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Tacoma School District.
Per-pupil spending (2020)
$20,086
Total district expenditure
$576,229,000
Total district revenue
$565,293,000
District enrollment
28,688
Revenue sources
Federal$65,420,000(11.6%)
State$332,886,000(58.9%)
Local$166,987,000(29.5%)
Spending breakdown
Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$258,874,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)—
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, FY 2020. 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.