Track Every Dollar
New York: every school dollar
Where New York'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$92.2 billion
- Spent per student, day to day$31,918U.S.: $17,619
- Students2,350,583681 school systems
- Lottery money to education$3.6 billionFY2025
Where the money comes from
$92.2 billion in the 2023-24 school year. Select federal, state or local to see every line.
Federal $7.7 billion8.4%
State $37.6 billion40.8%
Local $46.9 billion50.9%
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
$91.6 billion spent. Select support services for every line.
Inside these totals: $38.9 billion in salaries and wages, $19.5 billion in employee benefits. Long-term debt at year end: $29.8 billion.
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 York in fiscal year 2025: $6.4 billion. 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 York'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 York | Share of the national total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pell Grants | College grants to students with financial need | $2.9 billion | 7.3% |
| School lunch | National School Lunch Program (Department of Agriculture) | $1.8 billion | 6.6% |
| Title I | Grants to schools with many students from low-income families | $1.5 billion | 8.1% |
| Special education (IDEA) | Grants to states for students with disabilities, ages 3 to 21 | $898 million | 6.4% |
| Head Start | Early childhood programs (Department of Health and Human Services) | $731 million | 6.2% |
| Title II, teachers | Supporting effective instruction: teacher and principal training | $126 million | 5.8% |
| Title IV-A | Student support and academic enrichment grants | $111 million | 8.1% |
| After school (21st Century) | 21st Century Community Learning Centers | $106 million | 7.9% |
| Federal Work-Study | Part-time jobs for college students with need | $105 million | 9.2% |
| Impact Aid | Payments to districts with federal land or military families | $71.2 million | 4.5% |
| English learners (Title III) | English language acquisition grants | $67.1 million | 7.7% |
| Career and technical education | Perkins basic grants to states | $64.7 million | 4.6% |
| College opportunity grants (SEOG) | Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants | $60.3 million | 6.7% |
| Special education, preschool | Preschool grants for children with disabilities, ages 3 to 5 | $35.3 million | 8.9% |
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 York spending the education lottery money?
The New York Constitution permits state lotteries only if net proceeds are applied exclusively to or in aid or support of education, and the Lottery for Education Law (Tax Law Article 34) sets minimum shares of ticket sales for education by game; the money is transferred as Lottery Aid to Education. The lottery began in 1967.
What the law says
The promise: All net proceeds to education. Minimum shares of sales for education: 20.75% of Instant Games, 30% of multi-state games, 35% of Take 5, Numbers, Win 4 and Pick 10, 45% of Lotto and promotional games, 25% of Quick Draw; video lottery a varying percent of each facility's net machine income.
N.Y. Const. art. I, sec. 9; Tax Law Article 34 (New York State Lottery for Education Law), sec. 1612 dos.ny.gov
- Tickets sold$10.3 billion p. 15
- Prizes 46%$4.8 billion p. 15
- Retailers 16%$1.6 billion p. 15
- Running the lottery 1%$130 million p. 15
- To education 35%$3.6 billion p. 15
- Other costs and reserves 2%$167 million tickets sold minus the rows above
Of every dollar of New York 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.
- Lottery Aid to Education$3.6 billion p. 15
Lottery money to education by year
What auditors found
"In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the New York State Lottery as of March 31, 2025 and 2024"
Every school system in New York
681 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 York 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 York State Lottery, Financial Statements and Supplementary Information, Years Ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, New York State Gaming Commission / New York Lottery, 2025-07-03. edit.nylottery.ny.gov
- Lottery: New York State Constitution, as revised, including amendments effective January 1, 2026 (Article I, Section 9), New York Department of State. dos.ny.gov
- Checked November 2, 2026. How we track it · Report an error
Take it with you
Track Every Dollar
How is New York spending the education lottery money?
- Public school money, 2023-24$92.2 billion
- Spent per student$31,918
- Lottery money to education, FY2025$3.6 billion
- Of each lottery dollar sold35 cents to education
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