Government
US School Districts Are Spending More as Stimulus Deadline Looms
- On average, school expenses rose 5.4% in fiscal 2023
- Schools race to exhaust federal stimulus aid before deadline
Buoyed by a historic influx of federal pandemic stimulus, the largest school districts in the US are spending more.
On average, school district expenses rose 5.4% in fiscal 2023 from a year earlier, according to an analysis of 118 district budgets by Burbio, a Pelham, New York-based company that tracks school data. The gains follow a 10.8% increase between fiscal years 2022 and 2021. In total, the districts plan to spend $134 billion in the upcoming school year, up from $126 billion the previous year.