Track Every Dollar

District of Columbia: every school dollar

Where District of Columbia's public school money comes from, where it goes, what Washington sends, and how the state spends its lottery money. Select any line for more.

Where the money comes from

$1.9 billion in the 2023-24 school year. Select federal, state or local to see every line.

Federal $267 million13.9%
  • All other federal money$153 million57.1%
  • School meals$31.5 million11.8%
  • Title I: schools with many low-income families$30.9 million11.6%
  • Impact Aid$22.7 million8.5%
  • Special education (IDEA)$12.6 million4.7%
  • Teacher and principal training (Title II)$4.9 million1.9%
  • After-school programs (21st Century)$4.3 million1.6%
  • Career and technical education$4.2 million1.6%
  • Student support and enrichment (Title IV-A)$2.5 million0.9%
  • English learners (Title III)$953,0000.4%

Inside the federal total: $137 million of pandemic relief (ESSER and related funds), which ended in 2024.

State None reported0.0%
    Local $1.7 billion86.1%
    • From the parent city or county government$1.6 billion99.2%
    • Interest, rents, donations and other$13.1 million0.8%
    • Tuition, fees, meals and other charges$627,000under 0.1%

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finances: Fiscal Year 2024. School year 2023-24. census.gov the data file

    Where it goes

    $2.0 billion spent. Select support services for every line.

    • Teaching (instruction)$855 million42.9%
    • Support services Details$748 million37.5%
      • Student support: attendance, guidance, health and psychological services$173 million23.1%
      • Teacher support: curriculum, training, libraries$156 million20.8%
      • School administration: principals' offices$121 million16.1%
      • Running and maintaining buildings$90.1 million12.0%
      • District administration: the board and superintendent's office$77.3 million10.3%
      • Student transportation$74.4 million9.9%
      • Business office and central services$56.4 million7.5%
    • Buildings and equipment Details$314 million15.7%

      Of this, construction: $281 million.

    • Food service and other$53.9 million2.7%
    • Community services and adult education$22.1 million1.1%

    Inside these totals: $1.1 billion in salaries and wages, $194 million in employee benefits.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finances: Fiscal Year 2024. School year 2023-24. census.gov the data file

    Spending per student over time

    $0$17,000$34,000 2019: $22,5622019$22,5622020: $22,85620202021: $24,53520212022: $27,42520222023: $31,62920232024: $31,5292024$31,529
    District of Columbia: day-to-day spending per student, by fiscal year.

    Not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 20. summary tables

    What Washington committed

    Department of Education money committed for use in District of Columbia in fiscal year 2025: $581 million. The programs below include money from Agriculture (school meals) and Health and Human Services (Head Start), and college aid (Pell).

    Why this differs from the federal line above: that line is what District of Columbia's schools received in the 2023-24 school year (Census). This one is what Washington committed in a later federal year, including college aid, which schools never receive.

    Federal education programs in District of Columbia, fiscal year 2025
    ProgramWhat it isDistrict of ColumbiaShare of the national total
    Special education (IDEA)Grants to states for students with disabilities, ages 3 to 21$129 million0.9%
    Title IGrants to schools with many students from low-income families$109 million0.6%
    Pell GrantsCollege grants to students with financial need$84.0 million0.2%
    School lunchNational School Lunch Program (Department of Agriculture)$69.8 million0.3%
    Head StartEarly childhood programs (Department of Health and Human Services)$43.5 million0.4%
    Title II, teachersSupporting effective instruction: teacher and principal training$21.2 million1.0%
    After school (21st Century)21st Century Community Learning Centers$15.1 million1.1%
    Title IV-AStudent support and academic enrichment grants$13.6 million1.0%
    Federal Work-StudyPart-time jobs for college students with need$11.4 million1.0%
    Career and technical educationPerkins basic grants to states$5.9 million0.4%
    College opportunity grants (SEOG)Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants$4.1 million0.5%
    Impact AidPayments to districts with federal land or military families$2.7 million0.2%
    English learners (Title III)English language acquisition grants$1.9 million0.2%
    Special education, preschoolPreschool grants for children with disabilities, ages 3 to 5$233,126under 0.1%

    Source: USAspending.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury. Federal fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), money committed (obligated) by state where it is used. usaspending.gov

    How is District of Columbia spending the education lottery money?

    District law sends the Lottery, Gambling, and Gaming Fund remainder, after prizes and operating costs, to the District's General Fund as general purpose revenue; no share is set for education.

    What the law says

    "into the General Fund of the District of Columbia as general purpose revenue funds of the District of Columbia"

    D.C. Code 36-601.12(c) code.dccouncil.gov

    • Tickets sold$211 million p. 21
    • Prizes 61%$129 million p. 11
    • Retailers 5%$11.2 million p. 21
    • Running the lotteryUnknown
    • Sent to the state for its programs 15%$32.5 million p. 21
    • Of what was sent to the state, to educationUnknown

    What it paid for, FY2025

    Payments made during the year. They include money earned in earlier years, so they do not add up to the year's total sent to education.

    • Transfer to General Fund$32.5 million p. 21

    Since 1982: $2.3 billion p. 1 to education in total.

    What auditors found

    "CLA found no material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting."

    District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General; audit by CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, Office of Lottery and Gaming Annual Financial Statements, fiscal year 2025 (OIG No. 25-1-09DC), 2026-01-30. oig.dc.gov

    Still being verified: running the lottery, to education.

    Every school system in District of Columbia

    1 school systems reported to the Census Bureau for 2023-24. See each one's money in and money out.

    See all 1 school systems

    The record

    • School money: Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finances: Fiscal Year 2024, U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances. The district totals for District of Columbia were added up and checked against the Census state table on seven totals. census.gov
    • Federal money: Federal education spending, fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Money committed, by the state where it is used. usaspending.gov
    • Lottery: Government of the District of Columbia Office of Lottery and Gaming Financial Statements and Independent Auditor's Reports, Years Ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General, 2026-01-30. oig.dc.gov
    • Lottery: Office of Lottery and Gaming (DC0), FY 2026 Approved Budget and Financial Plan chapter, District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer. cfo.dc.gov
    • Lottery: D.C. Code 36-601.12, Lottery, Gambling, and Gaming Fund, Council of the District of Columbia. code.dccouncil.gov
    • Checked November 2, 2026. How we track it · Report an error

    Take it with you

    Track Every Dollar

    Every school dollar in District of Columbia

    • Public school money, 2023-24$1.9 billion
    • Spent per student$31,529
    • Lottery money to education, FY2025Lottery money goes to other purposes

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