ABSTRACT
Financing K-12 public schools in the United States is overwhelmingly a governmental responsibility. The National Center for Educational Statistics reports that in 2003, sources other than federal, state, and local governments accounted for just 2.3 percent of all the revenues received by public schools.1 Even this fi gure overstates the fi nancial contribution of nongovernmental organizations that provide funds to support or improve public schools, since it includes income from various fees2 as well as contributions and donations from private sources.
