Publications & Resources
- Newsletters
- Apr 08, 2025
How to cure an ESSER hangover
While the ESSER tap was flowing, districts promoted many of their best teachers into non-teaching roles of administrators, coordinators, interventionists, coaches, and student support staff. With those funds gone how districts pivot-- focus on quality over quantity--matters for students.
- Articles & Publications
- Mar 26, 2025
In K-12, the ESSER hangover is here.
In this analysis published by Brookings, Marguerite Roza shows how after the ESSER fueled hiring spree, districts are struggling to afford their larger, better-paid workforces, and students may be left with less effective teachers.
- Articles & Publications
- Mar 10, 2025
Going through the motions: The role of school boards in budget deliberations
This brief offers a descriptive baseline analysis of what school board financial deliberations look like and what opportunities and barriers affect their role in financial decision-making.
- Webinars & Presentations
- Feb 27, 2025
30-Min Webinar: A tough budget season: What you need to know
In this 30-minute webinar, we share what you need to know about this spring’s challenging budget season, including how changes in federal funding could impact schools.
- Newsletters
- Dec 19, 2024
Looking to avoid closures? Districts have options
Small schools can be financially feasible - but there are tradeoffs.
- Articles & Publications
- Dec 19, 2024
Don’t want to close under-enrolled schools? Here’s how to make the math work.
Small, under-enrolled schools can be financially viable if they are staffed differently than larger schools, writes Marguerite Roza on the Fordham Flypaper blog.
- Articles & Publications
- Nov 07, 2024
Big-City Districts Are Beset by Financial Dysfunction – and Kids Pay the Price
Financial dysfunction is plaguing many city school districts. What can help? Strong district leadership, state guidance, and brutal honesty about what's really going on. Marguerite Roza and Cicco weigh in at The 74.
- Newsletters
- Oct 24, 2024
Is it true? ESSER boosted spending more in wealthier schools?
Larger higher-poverty districts got more ESSER per pupil than their peers. But, many of those districts then deployed relief funds in ways that disproportionately boosted spending in their wealthier schools. How did that happen?
- Articles & Publications
- Oct 23, 2024
No Silver School-Spending Bullets: 5 Lessons from ESSER to Help Drive Continued Learning Recovery
Marguerite Roza and Maggie Cicco share what we've learned from ESSER about making money matter more in schools, in an analysis published at Education Next.
- Newsletters
- Oct 18, 2024
Our special ed analysis has people talking
Special Ed is consuming a growing share of public school dollars. Is it helping? We owe it to students to regularly scrutinize these dollars to see if we can do more to maximize the outcomes for them.
- Newsletters
- Aug 29, 2024
Which districts could return relief dollars to the Feds?
The Sept. 30 ESSER deadline is fast approaching. Which districts might miss it?
- Newsletters
- Aug 15, 2024
Schools have more staff than ever. Are kids benefiting?
Most districts now have more staff than ever before. Per usual, Edunomics Lab asks: Is it working? Are students benefiting?
- Webinars & Presentations
- Aug 08, 2024
30-Min Webinar: The Big Hire: Massachusetts’s school staffing changes
In this 30-minute webinar, we share findings from a new Edunomics Lab analysis of how staffing has changed in Massachusetts schools between 2020 and 2024.
- Articles & Publications
- Jul 25, 2024
Why WA school budgets are getting tighter, and what can be done about it
In the Washington State Standard, Marguerite Roza and Ash Dhammani write that strategic financial leadership is more critical than ever to help communities understand tradeoffs and ensure WA state’s students get the most for every dollar.
- Newsletters
- Jun 18, 2024
Can vendors help our schools?
Optimism around the ed vendor space is running high.
- Newsletters
- Mar 14, 2024
Winding down ESSER. Is it working? What’s left to do?
Just 6 months remain on this massive federal program. While there's still work to be done, we can already see it's legacy taking shape. Here are a few highlights...
- Newsletters
- Mar 05, 2024
Bringing communities along during painful budget choices
For leaders facing tight budgets, there are better and worse ways to handle the next several months.
- Articles & Publications
- Mar 03, 2024
Closing schools: How much money does it save, and is it worth it?
School closure decisions are never easy. In this EdSource commentary, Roza and Dhammani outline several factors districts should consider in order to bring transparency to the process and ensure all students are served well.
- Articles & Publications
- Feb 28, 2024
School Boards Face Their Most Difficult Budget Season Ever
How can school board members bring their communities along in challenging financial times? Marguerite Roza and Laura Anderson weigh in at The 74.
- Newsletters
- Nov 30, 2023
Who decides what to cut? Technically school boards do
School boards face tough tradeoffs as they decide what to keep and what goes away when federal relief funds dry up. Here's what we've been learning about how boards engage in making financial decisions.
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