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

School spending priority report

Some school districts may be misplacing their spending priorities, investing in efforts that do not boost student achievement in math and reading, according to this annual report, which looks at spending in more than 7,000 school districts nationwide. The findings of that first report were worrisome and underscored the fact that the nation suffers from a productivity crisis. The data suggested that low productivity might cost the nation’s school system billions of dollars a year. What’s more, too few states and districts tracked the bang that they received for their education buck.
Center for American Progress. (2014). Return on Investment 2014.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2014/07/09/93104/return-on-educational-investment-2/