What percentage of public school funding in comes from the federal government?

Refreshed annually
About 11.3% or 1 in 9 dollars of California public school funding came from the federal government during the 2022–23 school year. As with most schools nationwide, California received more funding from local or state governments than it did from federal sources. The totals differ by district, depending on factors such as student demographics (like poverty levels), availability of state and local revenues, and whether a district is urban, suburban, or rural.

11.3%

of public school funding came from federal sources, 2022–23 school year

$2.79K

federal funding of K-12 public schools per student, 2022–23 school year
During the 2022–23 school year, the latest year data was available, California schools received a lower share of funding from federal sources compared with the US average (12.9%).

During the 2022–23 school year, public schools in California received 11.3% of funding from the federal government.

Share of public school district revenue coming from federal sources

In all, public schools in California received $16.3 billion, or $2,558 in federal funds per student. That's 9.1% higher than the national average of $2,233 per student.

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During the 2022–23 school year, public schools in California received $2,791 per student from the federal government.

Public school district revenue per student coming from federal sources

Most federal public school funds are allocated based on formulas based on factors such as poverty status or a district’s rural location. Federal programs for schools include:
  • Child nutrition programs: Administered by the Department of Agriculture, this includes National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
  • Education for the disadvantaged: Also known as Title I, the federal government provides additional funds to schools with relatively high concentration of low-income students.
  • Special education: According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, the federal government is authorized though not mandated to supply 40% of special education funds.
Among 964 school districts in California, the Silver Valley Unified School District in the Riverside, CA area received 34.7% of its funds from the federal government during the 2022–23 school year, more than any other in the state. The Liberty Elementary School District in the Santa Rosa, CA area received the smallest share at 0.46%.

Federal funding made up 0.46% to 34.7% of California school district budgets in 2022–23.

Share of public school district revenue coming from federal sources

Fresno Unified School District received 17.4% of its 2022–23 funding from federal sources, the highest among California's 10 largest school districts. The Fresno Unified School District also had the highest federal funding in the group at $4,668 per student. The Corona-Norco Unified School District had the lowest share at 6.6% or $1,422 per student.

The 10 largest school districts in the California based on 2022–23 enrollment.

The 10 largest school districts in the California based on 2022–23 enrollment.
1.

Fresno Unified School District

17.4%
2.

San Bernardino City Unified School District

15.3%
3.

Santa Ana Unified School District

13.4%
4.

Long Beach Unified School District

13.3%
5.

Elk Grove Unified School District

11.5%
6.

Kern High School District

9.9%
7.

Capistrano Unified School District

7.3%
8.

Clovis Unified School District

6.9%
9.

San Francisco Unified School District

6.7%
10.

Corona-Norco Unified School District

6.6%

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.