Finance
School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Santa Monica-Malibu Unified.
Per-pupil spending (2022)
$34,894
Total district expenditure
$318,547,000
Total district revenue
$309,091,000
District enrollment
9,129
Revenue sources
Federal$18,155,000(5.9%)
State$26,713,000(8.6%)
Local$264,223,000(85.5%)
Spending breakdown
Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$102,934,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)$73,281,000
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.