Track Every Dollar
New Hampshire: every school dollar
Where New Hampshire'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.
- Public school money, 2023-24$4.0 billion
- Spent per student, day to day$22,978U.S.: $17,619
- Students155,148175 school systems
- Lottery money to education$209 millionFY2025
Where the money comes from
$4.0 billion in the 2023-24 school year. Select federal, state or local to see every line.
Federal $334 million8.3%
Inside the federal total: $149 million of pandemic relief (ESSER and related funds), which ended in 2024.
State $1.1 billion28.3%
Local $2.6 billion63.4%
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
$3.9 billion spent. Select support services for every line.
Inside these totals: $1.8 billion in salaries and wages, $910 million in employee benefits. Long-term debt at year end: $793 million.
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
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 New Hampshire in fiscal year 2025: $640 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 New Hampshire'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.
| Program | What it is | New Hampshire | Share of the national total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pell Grants | College grants to students with financial need | $461 million | 1.2% |
| Special education (IDEA) | Grants to states for students with disabilities, ages 3 to 21 | $54.8 million | 0.4% |
| Title I | Grants to schools with many students from low-income families | $48.0 million | 0.3% |
| School lunch | National School Lunch Program (Department of Agriculture) | $30.9 million | 0.1% |
| Head Start | Early childhood programs (Department of Health and Human Services) | $24.2 million | 0.2% |
| College opportunity grants (SEOG) | Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants | $14.1 million | 1.6% |
| Title II, teachers | Supporting effective instruction: teacher and principal training | $7.9 million | 0.4% |
| Federal Work-Study | Part-time jobs for college students with need | $7.2 million | 0.6% |
| After school (21st Century) | 21st Century Community Learning Centers | $7.2 million | 0.5% |
| Career and technical education | Perkins basic grants to states | $7.0 million | 0.5% |
| Title IV-A | Student support and academic enrichment grants | $5.9 million | 0.4% |
| Special education, preschool | Preschool grants for children with disabilities, ages 3 to 5 | $1.6 million | 0.4% |
| English learners (Title III) | English language acquisition grants | $612,394 | under 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 New Hampshire spending the education lottery money?
State law sends the balance of lottery money left after the commission's expenses to the education trust fund established under RSA 198:39. The lottery began in 1963.
What the law says
The promise: All lottery net income after prizes and expenses goes to the education trust fund; no fixed percentage or dollar amount is set.
"Any balance left in such fund after such expenses are paid shall be deposited in the education trust fund established under RSA 198:39."
N.H. RSA 284:21-j gc.nh.gov
- Tickets sold$604 million p. 37
- Prizes 53%$319 million p. 49
- Retailers 5%$30.1 million p. 49
- Running the lottery 2%$14.9 million p. 49
- To education 35%$209 million p. 49
- Other costs and reserves 5%$31.7 million tickets sold minus the rows above
Of every dollar of New Hampshire lottery tickets sold in FY2025, 35 cents reached education.
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.
- Distributions to the State’s Education Trust Fund$209 million p. 49
Since 1963: $3.1 billion p. 35 to education in total.
What auditors found
"In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, as of June 30, 2025"
Every school system in New Hampshire
175 school systems reported to the Census Bureau for 2023-24. See each one's money in and money out.
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 New Hampshire 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: New Hampshire Lottery Commission Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2025, New Hampshire Lottery Commission (posted by the Office of Legislative Budget Assistant), 2025-12-19. gc.nh.gov
- Lottery: N.H. RSA 284:21-j, Establishment, New Hampshire General Court. gc.nh.gov
- Checked November 2, 2026. How we track it · Report an error
Take it with you
Track Every Dollar
How is New Hampshire spending the education lottery money?
- Public school money, 2023-24$4.0 billion
- Spent per student$22,978
- Lottery money to education, FY2025$209 million
- Of each lottery dollar sold35 cents to education
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