Finance
School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Kern County Office of Education.
Per-pupil spending (2022)
$188,117
Total district expenditure
$388,838,000
Total district revenue
$413,387,000
District enrollment
2,067
Revenue sources
Federal$93,045,000(22.5%)
State$198,398,000(48.0%)
Local$121,944,000(29.5%)
Spending breakdown
Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$50,308,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)$137,811,000
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, FY 2022. Figures cover the entire district; individual school-level spending is not published.
US public school funding 101
- Local revenue (property taxes) is typically the largest source in most states, though this varies widely.
- State revenue equalization formulas aim to reduce disparities between wealthy and poor districts.
- Federal revenue is usually 6-10% of budget — Title I (poverty), IDEA (special education), ESSER (COVID relief).
- Per-pupil spending varies from under $10,000 to over $30,000 across states; California averages around $15,000, New York around $28,000.