Agenda - Item 1B - Public School Forum Local School Finance Study

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> 8 STATE FUNDS IIn 2015-16, the state provided $8.2 billion to operate 2,592 district, charter, and regional schools in 115 school systems across 100 counties for 1.54 million students. Approximately 94 percent of state funds were spent on salaries and benefits for 139,235 state-funded school personnel. State funding for operations has increased from $3.44 billion in 1992-93 to $8.2 billion in 2015-16. But while the level of funding has increased over time, the percentage of the state’s General Fund dedicated to education has declined. In 2015-16, 38.8 percent of the state’s General Fund was appropriated for K-12 public education, a significant drop from 1970, when it was 52.5 percent. If public education were funded at the same percentage of the General Fund as in 1970, districts and schools would have an additional $3.05 billion to educate our students. State funding for capital outlays has been relatively small compared with the state’s investment in operations, and com- pared with what counties invest in facilities. In 2015-16, the state spent $16 million on capital outlays, compared to $772 million spent by counties. North Carolina public schools spent $12.7 billion on instructional expenses in the 2015-16 school year, using a combination of state, federal, and local resources. State funding accounted for 63 percent of expenditures, federal funding accounted for 11 percent, and local funding accounted for 26 percent of spending. > SCHOOL FUNDING: WHO PAYS FOR WHAT? SOURCES OF FUNDS FOR SCHOOLS IN NC, 2015-16 Source: DPI, Financial & Business Services, Statistical Profile, Table 22 – North Carolina Current Expense Expenditures by Source of Funds STATE $8.2 BILLION (63%) K-12 SPENDING (% OF GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET) 1970-71 60% 50% 40% 30% 2015-16 52.5% 38.8% K-12 education spending represents the largest part of the state budget, but its share of the state budget has declined sharply since 1970. Source: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Statistical Profile. LOCAL $772 MILLION (98%) STATE $16 MILLION (2%) FUNDING FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS, 2015-16 WHO PAYS FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL? 2015-16 Source: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Statistical Profile 80,000 100,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 PRINCIPALS & ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS STATE: 4,422 LOCAL: 865 FEDERAL: 7 TOTAL: 5,294 STATE: 82,345 LOCAL: 5,752 FEDERAL: 6,324 TOTAL: 94,421 STATE: 14,618 LOCAL: 2,299 FEDERAL: 4,131 TOTAL: 21,048 STATE: 10,800 LOCAL: 3,238 FEDERAL: 1,220 TOTAL: 15,258 TEACHERS TEACHER ASSISTANTS PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL NU M B E R O F P O S I T I O N S F U N D E D , B Y S O U R C E O F F U N D I N G LOCAL $3.1 BILLION (26%) FEDERAL $1.44 BILLION (11%)