MILWAUKEE, WI — Federal dollars make up a far bigger share of the budget in Milwaukee Public Schools than in most other large Wisconsin districts, according to a USAFacts analysis of 2022-23 school finance data.
Milwaukee received 24.4 percent of its funding from federal sources that year, the highest share among Wisconsin's 10 largest school districts, USAFacts found. That worked out to $5,407 per student, also the highest total in the group.
Waukesha Schools sat at the opposite end. Federal funding accounted for 10.5 percent of its budget, or $1,767 per student, the lowest share and lowest total among the state's 10 largest districts.
Milwaukee's per-student federal funding was roughly three times higher than Waukesha's.
Racine ranked second among the 10 largest districts, with federal money making up 18.1 percent of its budget, followed by Kenosha at 17 percent, according to the analysis.
The remaining large districts fell below Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha. Green Bay received 14.7 percent of its funding from federal sources, followed by Sheboygan at 13.8 percent, Janesville at 13.3 percent, Eau Claire at 11.6 percent, Appleton at 11.5 percent and Madison at 11.2 percent.
Statewide, federal funding made up about 13.1 percent of Wisconsin's public school revenue in 2022-23, above the national average of 12.9 percent, USAFacts found. The gap between districts largely tracks with student poverty levels and demographics, since many federal education dollars are tied to programs like Title I and special education funding.
Wisconsin's 10 largest school districts by share of budget funded with federal dollars, per USAFacts (2022-23 data).
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Milwaukee, WI Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.