Advancement · School Operations · Finance

What do we spend
on each student?

Type the year’s spending by category and the enrollment. The calculator separates current spending from building projects and debt, gives the per-student figure most report cards use, and breaks it down by category.

Work out the figureWhat you get
$12one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $12

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the School operations toolkit, $49 for 52 items.

The per-student cost calculator

The worked example is a made-up district of 4,800 students. Nothing you type leaves this browser.

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What you get

Advancement · School Operations$12 · included with Classroom and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
Current and total spending per student, each category’s cost per student and share, and the change from last year, ready for a board presentation or a budget hearing.
Who it is for
School and district administrators, business officers, school board members and charter and private school leaders.
Format
Browser calculator for a phone, tablet or computer, by touch or keyboard. Prints a summary; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); export and import a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the School operations toolkit ($49) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The School Operations space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions, a correction or a request: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Take one year’s spending from the budget or audit.
  2. Enter each category and mark capital and debt.
  3. Type the enrollment you report.
  4. Add last year’s figure to see the change.
  5. Say which measure you use when you share it.

Work out the figure

How the per-student figure is worked out

Current spending divided by students, with capital and debt kept apart.

The worked example: a made-up district of 4,800 studentsCurrent spending$72,100,000six categories÷ students4,800fall enrollmentPer student$15,021the NCES measureWith capital, debt$17,792+$13,300,000The worked example: a made-up district of 4,800 studentsCurrent spending$72,100,000six categories÷ students4,800fall enrollmentPer student$15,021the NCES measureWith capital, debt$17,792+$13,300,000
The headline figure leaves out building projects and debt payments, which rise and fall from year to year.

Current or total

NCES reports current expenditures per pupil: instruction, student and staff support, administration, operations, transportation and food services. It leaves out capital outlay (construction, land, major equipment) and debt service, which rise and fall with building projects. Total spending per student includes them, and is useful for a full picture of one year.

Comparing fairly

Per-student figures move when spending changes and when enrollment does: a district losing students with the same staff and buildings spends more per student without buying anything new. Under ESSA, states and districts publish per-pupil spending for each school; compare like with like and name the measure.

Sources

  1. National Center for Education Statistics. Public school expenditures: current expenditures per pupil (nces.ed.gov/programs/coe).
  2. National Center for Education Statistics. Financial Accounting for Local and State School Systems (the account code handbook) (nces.ed.gov).
  3. U.S. Department of Education. ESSA per-pupil expenditure reporting on state and local report cards (ed.gov).
  4. U.S. Census Bureau. Annual Survey of School System Finances (census.gov).

The worked example is made up. Use your own audited figures and your state’s reporting definitions. Your entries stay in this browser. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.