Finance
School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Palo Alto Unified.
Per-pupil spending (2020)
$28,720
Total district expenditure
$308,854,000
Total district revenue
$288,985,000
District enrollment
10,754
Revenue sources
Federal$9,415,000(3.3%)
State$33,355,000(11.5%)
Local$246,215,000(85.2%)
Spending breakdown
Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$181,455,000
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.