Finance
School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Putnam County CUSD 535.
Per-pupil spending (2022)
$18,450
Total district expenditure
$14,649,000
Total district revenue
$21,234,000
District enrollment
794
Revenue sources
Federal$1,192,000(5.6%)
State$4,640,000(21.9%)
Local$15,402,000(72.5%)
Spending breakdown
Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$7,785,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)$5,153,000
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.