Schools face rising costs every year — staffing, transportation, special education services, technology, and building maintenance. But funding doesn’t always rise at the same pace. When costs go up faster than funding, schools face gaps that lead to cuts. 

Cuts usually happen because of one or more of these factors:

• Declining student enrollment (fewer students = less funding)

• High absenteeism (schools lose money when students don’t attend)

• State budget reductions

• Expiration of temporary federal funds

• Increased costs (transportation, utilities, special education)

• Teacher shortages that require expensive substitutes

Parents often see the cuts but not the financial pressures behind them.

Yes.

In many states, funding is tied to Average Daily Attendance (ADA).

Even in states that fund based on enrollment, attendance still affects how much money schools actually receive.

A school with high absenteeism can lose hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

Most school funding is restricted, meaning it can only be used for specific purposes:

• Special education

• Transportation

• Food services

• Federal Title I programs

• Building repairs

Schools can’t legally move money from one pot to another, even if they want to.

Local communities help fund schools through property taxes.

When state funding doesn’t keep up with costs, districts ask voters to approve:

• Operating levies (day‑to‑day expenses)

• Bonds (buildings, renovations, safety upgrades)

Without these, schools often face cuts.

Because school funding is partly based on local property taxes.

Communities with higher property values generate more revenue.

This creates funding gaps between wealthy and lower‑income districts.

Schools may have to:

• Increase class sizes

• Cut programs (arts, sports, tutoring, electives)

• Reduce staff

• Delay building repairs

• Limit transportation

• Reduce mental‑health or counseling services

These cuts directly affect student learning and safety.

Stability improves the very metrics that determine funding:

• Better attendance → more funding

• Higher test scores → more grants

• Lower discipline issues → fewer costs

• Stronger community partnerships → more donations

A stable school environment stretches every dollar further.

Programs like GrandParents Hands & Children Charity help schools by:

• Improving attendance

• Raising test scores

• Reducing crime and suspensions

• Supporting families

• Providing mentors and tutors

• Creating career pathways

These improvements can bring hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the district.

Parents can make a huge difference by:

• Ensuring regular attendance

• Staying in communication with teachers

• Supporting homework routines

• Attending school meetings

• Advocating for school funding

• Volunteering when possible

Small actions add up to big improvements.