Public schools provide a critical safety net. From education and supervision to free meals, schools are essential to our communities. However, not all schools have the same resources. What if we could spotlight the places where they need the most help?
This interactive map from Jim Herries at Esri shows school funding adequacy. You can zoom in to see funding adequacy at the county level or zoom out to compare funding among states. You can click any location to see the magnitude of the surplus or gap in school funding adequacy.
Launch Interactive Map
For this map, school funding adequacy is defined as:
"The average gap in dollars between actual and required spending per pupil among public school districts. Required spending is an estimate of dollars needed to achieve US average test scores in each district."
The map uses a few tricks to draw your attention to areas with large surpluses or gaps in funding. Bigger, brighter symbols pop off the map where gaps are larger. Places with small gaps are shown in neutral colors and almost disappear.
Most public school funding (more than 90%) comes from state and local sources. Because property taxes and state revenues vary, there are sharp geographic variations in funding by state and county.
Research shows that schools with better funding create better outcomes for their students. Gaps in school funding put students at a significant disadvantage. They can compound inequities from historical policies like redlining that still impact property taxes today.
By the Numbers
Here are the top and bottom five states* by school funding adequacy gap:
| Name | Rank | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| New York | Top 1 | $9,692.14 |
| New Hampshire | Top 2 | $9,506.44 |
| Wyoming | Top 3 | $9,064.22 |
| Connecticut | Top 4 | $8,613.04 |
| Alaska | Top 5 | $8,220.62 |
| Georgia | Bottom 5 | -$4,129.51 |
| Louisiana | Bottom 4 | -$4,179.08 |
| Alabama | Bottom 3 | -$4,296.27 |
| Texas | Bottom 2 | -$5,009.51 |
| Mississippi | Bottom 1 | -$7,402.53 |
* Alaska and Vermont did not report statewide figures.
Twenty-nine states have a positive gap, meaning they’re spending more per pupil than required. Twenty states have a negative gap.
Here are the top and bottom five counties* by school funding adequacy gap:
| Name | Rank | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol Bay Borough, Alaska | Top 1 | $29,885.95 |
| North Slope Borough, Alaska | Top 2 | $26,309.29 |
| Hamilton County, New York | Top 3 | $26,225.54 |
| Aleutians East Borough, Alaska | Top 4 | $24,559.46 |
| Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska | Top 5 | $23,100.27 |
| Quitman County, Mississippi | Bottom 5 | -$19,374.41 |
| Jefferson County, Mississippi | Bottom 4 | -$20,034.83 |
| Noxubee County, Mississippi | Bottom 3 | -$20,164.91 |
| East Carroll Parish, Louisiana | Bottom 2 | -$20,338.65 |
| Humphreys County, Mississippi | Bottom 1 | -$22,203.74 |
* Some counties did not provide school funding data.
