Contact: Lauren Slagter, lslag@umich.edu
ANN ARBOR—The future of the U.S. Department of Education is under discussion, and a new tool from Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan is making waves. For the first time, this interactive data tool allows users to see how federal education funds are distributed to local school districts by U.S. Congressional district.
Federal funding plays a critical role in supporting public schools, including traditional and charter schools. While it is not the primary source of funding, it is crucial for specific programs aimed at helping students who need it the most. Here’s a quick list of what federal funds are often used for:
- Title I programs for students from low-income families
- Child Nutrition Act programs that provide meals to low-income students
- Special education services for children with disabilities
- Vocational and technical education programs
The Federal Education Funding Data Dashboard reveals the allocations for these programs for the 2020-21 academic year. Users can search the data by state and Congressional district to see how funding is distributed.
Alongside funding amounts, the dashboard provides insights into the total number of public schools and students in each state or district, including stats on students living in poverty and those experiencing homelessness.
Looking at regions, the South received the largest share of federal education funds, totaling $33.9 billion, followed by the West with $25.8 billion. Within regions, the Pacific division led with $18.8 billion in federal dollars, closely followed by the South Atlantic and West South Central divisions.
The following Congressional districts rely heavily on federal funding for local schools:
- Arizona Congressional District 2 (28.2%)
- California Congressional District 42 (27.6%)
- Mississippi Congressional District 2 (22.6%)
- Kentucky Congressional District 5 (21.6%)
- Michigan Congressional District 13 (21.1%)
- Arizona Congressional District 3 (19.9%)
- California Congressional District 43 (19.7%)
- Montana Congressional District 2 (19.5%)
- South Dakota Congressional District at Large (19.5%)
- Florida Congressional District 2 (19.0%)
Experts at U-M are available to discuss these findings:
Brian Jacob, Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Education Policy, can provide insights on the Department of Education’s role in K-12 education. You can reach him at bajacob@umich.edu.
Jennifer Erb-Downward created the data dashboard and can explain the analysis behind it. Her contact is jerbdown@umich.edu.
Amanda Nothaft is the director of data and analysis and can comment on how federal funding methods work, such as categorical grants and block grants. Reach her at acn@umich.edu.
