Finance
School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Tacoma School District.
Per-pupil spending (2022)
$23,190
Total district expenditure
$665,003,000
Total district revenue
$596,663,000
District enrollment
28,676
Revenue sources
Federal$76,392,000(12.8%)
State$340,104,000(57.0%)
Local$180,167,000(30.2%)
Spending breakdown
Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$279,951,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)$206,272,000
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, FY 2022. 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.