Districts in Debt
America’s school districts owe more than $400 billion in debt, a number that has grown rapidly in the last decade. The system is rife with inequities and the hidden financial pressures districts face can end up having a big impact on classrooms and kids.
When school districts can’t raise funds for facilities
In states where schools have to raise most of the money for buildings on their own, sharp inequities exist between districts with a strong tax base and those without
School districts are going into debt to keep up with technology
In Silicon Valley, cash-strapped schools are selling bonds to buy student laptops
When school districts fall into debt and can’t get out
Students and communities often pay the price
Short on financial knowledge, some school districts get bad deals on bonds
Districts can fall prey to financial firms that put their own interests first
How rising teacher pension costs hurt school districts
States try to rescue their pension systems from bankruptcy, leaving less money for classrooms and teacher pay