- North Carolina K-12 public schools have received close to $6 billion in Covid-19 relief funds
- A new analysis finds school districts have about 75% of Covid funds unspent, and although poor districts receive significantly more per-student funding, they have more trouble getting dollars out the door
- School district troubles derive from changes in how the pandemic has been received and the reality that Covid politics is big influence on Covid policy
Since March 2020, the federal government has appropriated $200 billion to help schools nationwide deal with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Of that amount, North Carolina has received between $5.6 billion and $6 billion in Covid-19 relief funds, the difference depending on how and when the funds are counted.
That’s a lot of money. Two questions we need to answer: How is the money distributed? How is the money being spent? While too early to tell what impact Covid funds have had on helping to remediate the effects of the pandemic, we do have good general data about how Covid funds are being spent.
Earlier this year I wrote about how the distribution of Covid relief funds wasn’t going well. At that time nearly 90% of Covid relief funds allotted to school districts was still unspent.
Those data were from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, which tracks Covid expenditures. Understandably, the high percentage of unspent Covid relief funds turned a few heads. Officials at DPI and school administrators responded to the criticism by saying the distribution of funds takes time. The federal Covid legislation allows states to spend money over several years. Moreover, districts are only reimbursed by the state for qualified expenses after funds are expended.
That sounded plausible. There was, however, reason to believe the pace of Covid spending by schools would soon quicken. Schools had summer school programs to help address learning loss, and funding for other Covid-related aid programs was also being distributed.
Has the pace of Covid relief spending by local education agencies (LEAs) increased? To help answer that question, Table 1 uses DPI data tracking Covid-related expenditures. The other information mentioned is from calculations by the author.
Table 1. Federal Covid-19 Relief Funding and Expenditures by N.C. School District
| LEA | Total Expenditures | Total Allotment | Balance | Percent Remaining | ADM | Total Covid Aid Per Student | Total Covid Spending Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance-Burlington Schools | $22,118,552 | $88,210,691 | $66,092,139 | 74.93% | 23,046 | $3,828 | $960 |
| Alexander County Schools | $3,148,932 | $14,945,987 | $11,797,055 | 78.93% | 4,757 | $3,142 | $662 |
| Alleghany County Schools | $708,262 | $6,412,198 | $5,703,936 | 88.95% | 1,410 | $4,548 | $502 |
| Anson County Schools | $3,323,813 | $16,379,469 | $13,055,656 | 79.71% | 3,147 | $5,205 | $1,056 |
| Ashe County Schools | $2,047,905 | $12,136,505 | $10,088,600 | 83.13% | 2,936 | $4,134 | $698 |
| Avery County Schools | $2,666,318 | $9,827,557 | $7,161,239 | 72.87% | 1,898 | $5,178 | $1,405 |
| Beaufort County Schools | $6,419,988 | $29,668,914 | $23,248,926 | 78.36% | 6,351 | $4,672 | $1,011 |
| Bertie County Schools | $2,392,067 | $14,030,051 | $11,637,984 | 82.95% | 1,987 | $7,061 | $1,204 |
| Bladen County Schools | $5,512,377 | $33,745,832 | $28,233,455 | 83.67% | 4,094 | $8,243 | $1,346 |
| Brunswick County Schools | $11,072,427 | $45,970,459 | $34,898,032 | 75.91% | 12,851 | $3,577 | $862 |
| Buncombe County Schools | $15,218,495 | $86,577,545 | $71,359,050 | 82.42% | 23,718 | $3,650 | $642 |
| Asheville City Schools | $2,942,473 | $12,572,256 | $9,629,783 | 76.60% | 4,331 | $2,903 | $679 |
| Burke County Schools | $13,075,936 | $41,384,489 | $28,308,553 | 68.40% | 11,908 | $3,475 | $1,098 |
| Cabarrus County Schools | $21,814,236 | $59,170,393 | $37,356,157 | 63.13% | 34,458 | $1,717 | $633 |
| Kannapolis City Schools | $7,069,195 | $21,110,235 | $14,041,040 | 66.51% | 5,418 | $3,896 | $1,305 |
| Caldwell County Schools | $6,629,045 | $36,639,941 | $30,010,896 | 81.91% | 11,231 | $3,262 | $590 |
| Camden County Schools | $751,956 | $2,524,152 | $1,772,196 | 70.21% | 1,888 | $1,337 | $398 |
| Carteret County Schools | $5,532,853 | $24,765,709 | $19,232,856 | 77.66% | 8,091 | $3,061 | $684 |
| Caswell County Schools | $2,282,575 | $11,742,118 | $9,459,543 | 80.56% | 2,356 | $4,984 | $969 |
| Catawba County Schools | $10,287,338 | $48,025,011 | $37,737,673 | 78.58% | 15,747 | $3,050 | $653 |
| Hickory City Schools | $1,908,148 | $14,922,459 | $13,014,311 | 87.21% | 4,120 | $3,622 | $463 |
| Newton-Conover City Schools | $2,454,808 | $9,852,507 | $7,397,699 | 75.08% | 2,929 | $3,364 | $838 |
| Chatham County Schools | $5,275,441 | $22,111,830 | $16,836,389 | 76.14% | 9,071 | $2,438 | $582 |
| Cherokee County Schools | $3,619,719 | $13,900,110 | $10,280,391 | 73.96% | 3,102 | $4,481 | $1,167 |
| Edenton-Chowan County Schools | $2,134,559 | $8,861,793 | $6,727,234 | 75.91% | 1,880 | $4,714 | $1,135 |
| Clay County Schools | $1,589,949 | $5,120,537 | $3,530,588 | 68.95% | 1,287 | $3,979 | $1,235 |
| Cleveland County Schools | $10,903,432 | $65,638,109 | $54,734,677 | 83.39% | 14,134 | $4,644 | $771 |
| Columbus County Schools | $5,527,455 | $30,999,409 | $25,471,954 | 82.17% | 5,395 | $5,746 | $1,025 |
| Whiteville City Schools | $2,826,808 | $14,363,310 | $11,536,502 | 80.32% | 2,192 | $6,553 | $1,290 |
| Craven County Schools | $12,713,768 | $59,659,412 | $46,945,644 | 78.69% | 13,295 | $4,487 | $956 |
| Cumberland County Schools | $36,962,818 | $219,978,352 | $183,015,534 | 83.20% | 50,341 | $4,370 | $734 |
| Currituck County Schools | $2,831,706 | $7,726,792 | $4,895,086 | 63.35% | 4,332 | $1,784 | $654 |
| Dare County Schools | $2,155,447 | $9,865,713 | $7,710,266 | 78.15% | 5,296 | $1,863 | $407 |
| Davidson County Schools | $10,383,586 | $53,199,094 | $42,815,508 | 80.48% | 18,603 | $2,860 | $558 |
| Lexington City Schools | $3,762,060 | $17,805,829 | $14,043,769 | 78.87% | 3,058 | $5,823 | $1,230 |
| Thomasville City Schools | $2,219,122 | $16,199,121 | $13,979,999 | 86.30% | 2,271 | $7,133 | $977 |
| Davie County Schools | $3,405,341 | $15,108,515 | $11,703,174 | 77.46% | 6,102 | $2,476 | $558 |
| Duplin County Schools | $7,406,857 | $45,543,640 | $38,136,783 | 83.74% | 9,656 | $4,717 | $767 |
| Durham County Schools | $26,330,460 | $175,914,111 | $149,583,651 | 85.03% | 33,648 | $5,228 | $783 |
| Edgecombe County Schools | $5,022,959 | $33,425,494 | $28,402,535 | 84.97% | 5,621 | $5,947 | $894 |
| Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools | $42,082,568 | $253,593,916 | $211,511,348 | 83.41% | 53,777 | $4,716 | $783 |
| Franklin County Schools | $6,576,087 | $34,995,431 | $28,419,344 | 81.21% | 8,059 | $4,342 | $816 |
| Gaston County Schools | $24,334,517 | $121,725,944 | $97,391,427 | 80.01% | 30,975 | $3,930 | $786 |
| Gates County Schools | $1,821,817 | $4,837,599 | $3,015,782 | 62.34% | 1,595 | $3,033 | $1,142 |
| Graham County Schools | $1,180,966 | $4,895,209 | $3,714,243 | 75.88% | 1,140 | $4,294 | $1,036 |
| Granville County Schools | $4,042,908 | $24,440,910 | $20,398,002 | 83.46% | 7,231 | $3,380 | $559 |
| Greene County Schools | $5,367,333 | $21,428,049 | $16,060,716 | 74.95% | 2,881 | $7,438 | $1,863 |
| Guilford County Schools | $67,599,487 | $339,409,708 | $271,810,221 | 80.08% | 71,331 | $4,758 | $948 |
| Halifax County Schools | $2,784,446 | $25,457,014 | $22,672,568 | 89.06% | 2,194 | $11,603 | $1,269 |
| Roanoke Rapids City Schools | $3,091,890 | $12,245,284 | $9,153,394 | 74.75% | 2,764 | $4,430 | $1,119 |
| Weldon City Schools | $1,500,767 | $9,275,277 | $7,774,510 | 83.82% | 755 | $12,285 | $1,988 |
| Harnett County Schools | $12,523,577 | $84,543,754 | $72,020,177 | 85.19% | 20,688 | $4,087 | $605 |
| Haywood County Schools | $3,330,284 | $24,739,416 | $21,409,132 | 86.54% | 7,143 | $3,463 | $466 |
| Henderson County Schools | $8,166,663 | $40,295,582 | $32,128,919 | 79.73% | 13,463 | $2,993 | $607 |
| Hertford County Schools | $3,180,267 | $15,925,330 | $12,745,063 | 80.03% | 2,646 | $6,019 | $1,202 |
| Hoke County Schools | $8,478,820 | $36,703,251 | $28,224,431 | 76.90% | 9,041 | $4,060 | $938 |
| Hyde County Schools | $926,739 | $3,093,413 | $2,166,674 | 70.04% | 541 | $5,718 | $1,713 |
| Iredell-Statesville Schools | $12,548,508 | $57,794,381 | $45,245,873 | 78.29% | 20,685 | $2,794 | $607 |
| Mooresville City Schools | $2,915,957 | $10,250,222 | $7,334,265 | 71.55% | 6,094 | $1,682 | $478 |
| Jackson County Schools | $2,733,225 | $13,660,863 | $10,927,638 | 79.99% | 3,613 | $3,781 | $756 |
| Johnston County Schools | $28,562,173 | $117,761,448 | $89,199,275 | 75.75% | 37,837 | $3,112 | $755 |
| Jones County Schools | $1,577,185 | $6,117,121 | $4,539,936 | 74.22% | 1,031 | $5,933 | $1,530 |
| Lee County Schools | $6,948,893 | $33,592,461 | $26,643,568 | 79.31% | 9,899 | $3,394 | $702 |
| Lenoir County Schools | $7,268,718 | $53,784,609 | $46,515,891 | 86.49% | 8,486 | $6,338 | $857 |
| Lincoln County Schools | $7,393,284 | $28,763,785 | $21,370,501 | 74.30% | 11,406 | $2,522 | $648 |
| Macon County Schools | $3,582,175 | $18,067,494 | $14,485,319 | 80.17% | 4,488 | $4,026 | $798 |
| Madison County Schools | $2,407,629 | $9,661,080 | $7,253,451 | 75.08% | 2,252 | $4,290 | $1,069 |
| Martin County Schools | $3,567,238 | $15,761,954 | $12,194,716 | 77.37% | 2,852 | $5,527 | $1,251 |
| McDowell County Schools | $4,563,743 | $23,098,840 | $18,535,097 | 80.24% | 5,936 | $3,891 | $769 |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Schools | $108,246,397 | $543,168,411 | $434,922,014 | 80.07% | 148,434 | $3,659 | $729 |
| Mitchell County Schools | $1,693,557 | $7,023,825 | $5,330,268 | 75.89% | 1,838 | $3,821 | $921 |
| Montgomery County Schools | $3,995,210 | $16,439,021 | $12,443,811 | 75.70% | 3,694 | $4,450 | $1,082 |
| Moore County Schools | $8,847,807 | $32,376,750 | $23,528,943 | 72.67% | 13,003 | $2,490 | $680 |
| Nash County Public Schools | $13,013,623 | $64,777,403 | $51,763,780 | 79.91% | 15,015 | $4,314 | $867 |
| New Hanover County Schools | $13,144,963 | $98,383,976 | $85,239,013 | 86.64% | 26,002 | $3,784 | $506 |
| Northampton County Schools | $3,058,796 | $15,699,281 | $12,640,485 | 80.52% | 1,407 | $11,158 | $2,174 |
| Onslow County Schools | $19,899,306 | $95,338,453 | $75,439,147 | 79.13% | 27,608 | $3,453 | $721 |
| Orange County Schools | $4,074,237 | $15,645,759 | $11,571,522 | 73.96% | 7,381 | $2,120 | $552 |
| Chapel-Hill/Carrboro City Schools | $4,218,406 | $15,224,078 | $11,005,672 | 72.29% | 12,312 | $1,237 | $343 |
| Pamlico County Schools | $2,196,937 | $6,002,137 | $3,805,200 | 63.40% | 1,247 | $4,813 | $1,762 |
| Elizabeth City/Pasquotank County Schools | $3,713,288 | $26,068,032 | $22,354,744 | 85.76% | 5,238 | $4,977 | $709 |
| Pender County Schools | $5,185,269 | $29,479,790 | $24,294,521 | 82.41% | 9,973 | $2,956 | $520 |
| Perquimans County Schools | $1,861,000 | $7,290,401 | $5,429,401 | 74.47% | 1,634 | $4,462 | $1,139 |
| Person County Schools | $4,758,897 | $18,469,588 | $13,710,691 | 74.23% | 4,326 | $4,269 | $1,100 |
| Pitt County Schools | $21,796,424 | $116,876,547 | $95,080,123 | 81.35% | 23,826 | $4,905 | $915 |
| Polk County Schools | $1,751,033 | $7,026,358 | $5,275,325 | 75.08% | 2,113 | $3,325 | $829 |
| Randolph County Schools | $8,383,662 | $56,355,189 | $47,971,527 | 85.12% | 15,817 | $3,563 | $530 |
| Asheboro City Schools | $3,328,812 | $17,978,764 | $14,649,953 | 81.48% | 4,594 | $3,914 | $725 |
| Richmond County Schools | $8,168,197 | $38,143,289 | $29,975,092 | 78.59% | 7,018 | $5,435 | $1,164 |
| Robeson County Schools | $25,231,076 | $167,672,753 | $142,441,677 | 84.95% | 21,307 | $7,869 | $1,184 |
| Rockingham County Schools | $6,104,781 | $48,883,556 | $42,778,775 | 87.51% | 11,581 | $4,221 | $527 |
| Rowan-Salisbury County Schools | $11,704,603 | $79,068,788 | $67,364,185 | 85.20% | 18,756 | $4,216 | $624 |
| Rutherford County Schools | $7,260,071 | $37,650,134 | $30,390,063 | 80.72% | 7,615 | $4,944 | $953 |
| Sampson County Schools | $8,891,080 | $43,754,186 | $34,863,106 | 79.68% | 8,002 | $5,468 | $1,111 |
| Clinton City Schools | $2,630,117 | $12,897,726 | $10,267,609 | 79.61% | 2,950 | $4,372 | $892 |
| Scotland County Schools | $9,108,461 | $35,756,834 | $26,648,373 | 74.53% | 5,597 | $6,389 | $1,627 |
| Stanly County Schools | $9,268,675 | $28,076,334 | $18,807,659 | 66.99% | 8,348 | $3,363 | $1,110 |
| Stokes County Schools | $4,530,690 | $17,425,782 | $12,895,092 | 74.00% | 5,811 | $2,999 | $780 |
| Surry County Schools | $5,000,580 | $27,567,180 | $22,566,600 | 81.86% | 7,433 | $3,709 | $673 |
| Elkin City Schools | $838,665 | $3,327,100 | $2,488,435 | 74.79% | 1,204 | $2,763 | $697 |
| Mount Airy City Schools | $1,572,786 | $7,158,765 | $5,585,979 | 78.03% | 1,611 | $4,444 | $976 |
| Swain County Schools | $1,610,887 | $6,156,057 | $4,545,170 | 73.83% | 1,946 | $3,163 | $828 |
| Transylvania County Schools | $2,863,783 | $12,789,974 | $9,926,191 | 77.61% | 3,381 | $3,783 | $847 |
| Tyrrell County Schools | $689,205 | $3,201,927 | $2,512,722 | 78.48% | 629 | $5,091 | $1,096 |
| Union County Schools | $15,264,602 | $75,299,343 | $60,034,741 | 79.73% | 41,974 | $1,794 | $364 |
| Vance County Schools | $5,820,942 | $41,182,494 | $35,361,552 | 85.87% | 5,289 | $7,786 | $1,101 |
| Wake County Schools | $67,724,743 | $386,656,572 | $318,931,829 | 82.48% | 163,731 | $2,362 | $414 |
| Warren County Schools | $2,583,311 | $12,821,105 | $10,237,794 | 79.85% | 1,785 | $7,183 | $1,447 |
| Washington County Schools | $1,767,003 | $11,208,454 | $9,441,451 | 84.24% | 1,216 | $9,217 | $1,453 |
| Watauga County Schools | $3,494,458 | $10,952,083 | $7,457,625 | 68.09% | 4,752 | $2,305 | $735 |
| Wayne County Schools | $24,274,424 | $95,659,303 | $71,384,879 | 74.62% | 18,032 | $5,305 | $1,346 |
| Wilkes County Schools | $5,886,702 | $40,685,734 | $34,799,032 | 85.53% | 9,002 | $4,520 | $654 |
| Wilson County Schools | $9,412,394 | $63,046,680 | $53,634,286 | 85.07% | 10,960 | $5,752 | $859 |
| Yadkin County Schools | $3,960,886 | $16,792,726 | $12,831,840 | 76.41% | 5,078 | $3,307 | $780 |
| Yancey County Schools | $2,360,763 | $8,407,077 | $6,046,314 | 71.92% | 2,091 | $4,021 | $1,129 |
| Sums and Averages | $1,056,698,562 | $5,423,820,713 | $4,367,122,151 | 80.50% | 1,431,320 | $3,789 | $738 |
| $46,000 |
Some patterns emerge from the data. Yes, LEAs continue to carry high balances of unused Covid funds, but the balances on average are lower than we saw in July. In July, about 90% of LEA Covid funds were still in accounts. More recent data, through the end of September, shows about 80% of Covid allotments are still unspent. Currently, about 48 LEAs — or about 41% of all LEAs — had 80% or more of Covid relief funds unspent. That’s an improvement over July, when 114 of 117 LEAs (97%) had still not spent 80% or more of Covid allotments. Despite the explanations, the number still seems high, considering we’re told the Covid aid dollars were to ensure schools would reopen, get kids back in school, and help address the needs of disadvantaged students and districts.
What About Poor Districts?
Covid relief funding was distributed to get schools open and deal with the impacts of the virus on students. Those realities served to highlight funding difference among districts. To help schools address the difficulties of operating and reopening school districts during a pandemic, Congress distributed nearly $200 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund money using Title I formulas, to ensure that districts with high poverty would receive more money.
So, have poor districts been able to access additional funds and put resources to work?
To answer that question, we compared the fund balances of the 15 poorest districts with the 15 wealthiest districts in North Carolina, as measured by median household income by county.
As seen in Tables 2 and 3 (see below), the poorest 15 districts have larger unspent fund balances — 81.5% to 74.2% for wealthy districts. By that standard, wealthier districts are doing a slightly better job of getting resources to where they need to be.
Poor districts are certainly receiving more in Covid aid than wealthy districts. On average the 15 poorest districts received about $1,352 in Covid aid per student, while the wealthiest districts received on average about $595 per student.
As mentioned previously, poor districts have a higher percentage of unspent funds compared to wealthy districts. But are the resources getting out the door? Considering the money specifically targets poor districts, the high percentage of unspent funds seems to indicate poor districts aren’t as efficient in getting Covid funds to where they need to be.
Conclusion
Six billion dollars in federal Covid aid has brought a windfall of cash to many North Carolina school districts. Federal Covid aid was directed at stabilizing and reopening schools and remediating the impacts of Covid on students. Still, having resources is not the same as successfully addressing a problem.
Although LEAs have improved the spending pace relative to earlier this year, the average school district has still used only about 20% of its Covid funds. Unspent Covid funding balances for LEAs still average around 80%. Administrators say the high percentage of unspent funds derives from lags in how spending is tracked in districts and the ability of districts to use funds for multiyear projects.
Yes, overall spending numbers improved over several months ago. However, the high numbers obscure that the fundamental nature of Covid spending plans has changed. Federal money was distributed to get kids back to school, deal with the impacts of Covid, and provide resources to help disadvantaged students and districts. By the middle of last summer, however, it was clear that the economic fallout would not be as bad as predicted and that most of the impacts were localized. The money clearly eclipsed the needs of many districts. It needed to be spent wisely, so spending plans were drawn up. Up to 80% of the one-time Covid funds could potentially be spent on hiring, staff salary, and a wide variety of other recurring expenses, a short-sighted move that will strain future budgets. This tells you, to no one’s surprise, that education priorities are frequently less about education policy and more about education politics.
Table 2. 15 Poorest School Districts’ Federal Covid-19 Relief Funding and Expenditures
| LEA | Total Expenditures | Total Allotment | Balance | Percent Remaining | ADM | Total Covid Aid Per Student | Total Covid Spending Per Student | County Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bladen County Schools | $5,512,377 | $33,745,832 | $28,233,455 | 83.67% | 4,094 | $8,243 | $1,346 | $32,378 |
| Bertie County Schools | $2,392,067 | $14,030,051 | $11,637,984 | 82.95% | 1,987 | $7,061 | $1,204 | $33,143 |
| Robeson County Schools | $25,231,076 | $167,672,753 | $142,441,677 | 84.95% | 21,307 | $7,869 | $1,184 | $33,679 |
| Halifax County Schools | $2,784,446 | $25,457,014 | $22,672,568 | 89.06% | 2,194 | $11,603 | $1,269 | $34,251 |
| Weldon City Schools | $1,500,767 | $9,275,277 | $7,774,510 | 83.82% | 755 | $12,285 | $1,988 | $34,251 |
| Roanoke Rapids City Schools | $3,091,890 | $12,245,284 | $9,153,394 | 74.75% | 2,764 | $4,430 | $1,119 | $34,251 |
| Tyrrell County Schools | $689,205 | $3,201,927 | $2,512,722 | 78.48% | 629 | $5,091 | $1,096 | $35,472 |
| Northampton County Schools | $3,058,796 | $15,699,281 | $12,640,485 | 80.52% | 1,407 | $11,158 | $2,174 | $35,499 |
| Washington County Schools | $1,767,003 | $11,208,454 | $9,441,451 | 84.24% | 1,216 | $9,217 | $1,453 | $35,512 |
| Edgecombe County Schools | $5,022,959 | $33,425,494 | $28,402,535 | 84.97% | 5,621 | $5,947 | $894 | $35,516 |
| Scotland County Schools | $9,108,461 | $35,756,834 | $26,648,373 | 74.53% | 5,597 | $6,389 | $1,627 | $35,617 |
| Warren County Schools | $2,583,311 | $12,821,105 | $10,237,794 | 79.85% | 1,785 | $7,183 | $1,447 | $35,962 |
| Richmond County Schools | $8,168,197 | $38,143,289 | $29,975,092 | 78.59% | 7,018 | $5,435 | $1,164 | $36,091 |
| Columbus County Schools | $5,527,455 | $30,999,409 | $25,471,954 | 82.17% | 5,395 | $5,746 | $1,025 | $36,398 |
| Whiteville City Schools | $2,826,808 | $14,363,310 | $11,536,502 | 80.32% | 2,192 | $6,553 | $1,290 | $36,398 |
| Average | 81.52% | $1,352 |
Table 3. 15 Wealthiest School Districts’ Federal Covid-19 Relief Funding and Expenditures
| LEA | Total Expenditures | Total Allotment | Balance | Percent Remaining | ADM | Total Covid Aid Per Student | Total Covid Spending Per Student | County Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moore County Schools | $8,847,807 | $32,376,750 | $23,528,943 | 72.67% | 13,003 | $2,490 | $680 | $57,899 |
| Dare County Schools | $2,155,447 | $9,865,713 | $7,710,266 | 78.15% | 5,296 | $1,863 | $407 | $58,012 |
| Durham County Schools | $26,330,460 | $175,914,111 | $149,583,651 | 85.03% | 33,648 | $5,228 | $783 | $58,190 |
| Iredell-Statesville Schools | $12,548,508 | $57,794,381 | $45,245,873 | 78.29% | 20,685 | $2,794 | $607 | $58,198 |
| Mooresville City Schools | $2,915,957 | $10,250,222 | $7,334,265 | 71.55% | 6,094 | $1,682 | $478 | $58,198 |
| Camden County Schools | $751,956 | $2,524,152 | $1,772,196 | 70.21% | 1,888 | $1,337 | $398 | $63,349 |
| Chatham County Schools | $5,275,441 | $22,111,830 | $16,836,389 | 76.14% | 9,071 | $2,438 | $582 | $63,531 |
| Kannapolis City Schools | $7,069,195 | $21,110,235 | $14,041,040 | 66.51% | 5,418 | $3,896 | $1,305 | $64,174 |
| Cabarrus County Schools | $21,814,236 | $59,170,393 | $37,356,157 | 63.13% | 34,458 | $1,717 | $633 | $64,174 |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Schools | $108,246,397 | $543,168,411 | $434,922,014 | 80.07% | 148,434 | $3,659 | $729 | $64,312 |
| Currituck County Schools | $2,831,706 | $7,726,792 | $4,895,086 | 63.35% | 4,332 | $1,784 | $654 | $66,284 |
| Orange County Schools | $4,074,237 | $15,645,759 | $11,571,522 | 73.96% | 7,381 | $2,120 | $552 | $68,211 |
| Chapel-Hill/Carrboro City Schools | $4,218,406 | $15,224,078 | $11,005,672 | 72.29% | 12,312 | $1,237 | $343 | $68,211 |
| Union County Schools | $15,264,602 | $75,299,343 | $60,034,741 | 79.73% | 41,974 | $1,794 | $364 | $75,397 |
| Wake County Schools | $67,724,743 | $386,656,572 | $318,931,829 | 82.48% | 163,731 | $2,362 | $414 | $76,956 |
| Averages | 74.24% | $595 |
