SLJ budget and funding survey findings

 more than half of school libraries in the United States—57 percent—report operating with “unmet needs,” according to School Library Journal’s 2026 Budget and Spending Survey. The survey, completed by 820 school libraries, examines current year (2025–26), prior year (2024–25), and projected library media center (LMC) budgets, revealing a largely flat funding environment across school types.

Within the data, the survey reveals how multiple factors, including burdensome approval and purchasing processes, rising collection expenses, and a growing need for alternative funding sources, exacerbate the impact of flat budgets in a period of economic uncertainty. This data is not only notable, but should help drive advocacy for school funding going forward.

Topics include demographics, district and state challenges, diversity funding, book fairs, staffing, and partnerships. 

Witteveen, A. (2026). 2026 budgets funding survey: School libraries face unmet needs. School Library Journal. https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/2026-Budgets-Funding-Survey-School-Librarians-face-Unmet-Needs

2024 School Library Budget and Spending Survey

 The School Library Journal's annual budget and spending survey's 2024 findings show stable budgets (although depending more on state and federal money than on local funding) and more spending on print books less spending on ebooks, now that most schools are back to in-person instruction. School librarians also spent money on upgrading their furniture. With book bans and challenges becoming more prevalent, school librarians are sometimes needing to get more approvals for spending choices. More details can be found in the full article.

Cockcroft, M. (2024, April 4). Spend it if you can. School Library Journal. 

https://www.slj.com/story/spend-it-if-you-can-SLJ-2024-school-library-budget-survey

Challenges for Rural School Districts

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) convened two focus groups consisting of the CTO’s and Superintendents for rural districts to ask them what their challenges and opportunities were, with the top four challenges being:

1. Broadband access - For rural districts, access is the most pernicious obstacle to taking the digital leap. Even if a school has internet access, it may not be up to par since it’s not cost-effective for telecommunication providers to lay fiber to remote areas where some students live and many students live far apart from each other and the school.

2. Funding - Rural districts are often funded from a smaller tax base and, because of their smaller size, have a larger percentage of per student spending go to overhead costs such as transportation.

3. People - Rural districts have a difficult time recruiting staff, substitute teachers and support services personnel.

4. Understanding the “why” - Finally, some rural communities may be skeptical of the role of technology in their schools and their communities.

The study stated, however, that opportunities exist at the same time.  Rural districts have unique opportunities due to their smaller size.  They are often nimbler and leadership has more ownership of the schools. Rural districts often have community involvement. Teacher retention is strong – often teachers in the town were once students at those same schools.

CoSN (2018). The challenges and opportunities of rural districts in taking the digital leap. Washington, D.C.: CoSN. http://cosn.org/sites/default/files/Challenges%20and%20Opportunities%20of%20Rural%20Districts%20Taking%20Digital%20Leap.pdf

College Tuition Costs Rising Rapidly

According to a study by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, tuition at public colleges and universities has increased by at least a quarter over the past decade, more than that of private universities. Deep state funding cuts have had major consequences for public colleges and universities.  States (and to a lesser extent localities) provide roughly half of the revenue that can be used to support instruction at these schools. When this funding is cut, colleges and universities look to make up the difference with higher tuition levels, cuts to educational or other services, or both. The study states that responsible reinvestment can only occur, however, if policymakers make sound tax and budget decisions.  

Mitchell, M., & Leachman, M. (2015). Years of cuts threaten to put college out of reach for more students. Washington, D.C.: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/years-of-cuts-threaten-to-put-college-out-of-reach-for-more-students

Study on Improving Libraries

This Alliance for Excellent Education report makes suggestions for both policymakers:

* Envision the role of school librarians as extending beyond the physical space of the library and being more than the keepers of books and reference materials and consider the critical knowledge and skills that school librarians bring to the digital learning transition.

* Consider how funding the role of the school librarian is also supporting teachers, students, and administrators in the digital learning transition.

* Recognize how the library and the technology within the library are essential to providing students with access to the Internet and research and learning guidance and to leveling the playing field for students without access to the Internet or devices at home, especially outside of regular school hours.

As well as librarians:

* Share how the collaboration, professional development, and instruction provided by the school librarian are integral to the digital learning transition.
* Continue learning to be leaders in the digital learning transition and experts who can provide professional development, implement new tools and resources, and guide teachers, students, and administrators.
* Lead and model the potential of the library itself as a hub of digital learning and the connection to rich and diverse content, and create a makerspace designed and positioned to meet the needs of students and teachers.

 Wolf, M. A., Jones, R., & Gilbert, D. (2014). Leading in and beyond the library. Washington, D.C.: Alliance for Excellent Education. https://all4ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/BeyondTheLibrary.pdf