Data Sources
Schools.now aggregates data from federal and state government sources. All data is publicly available and updated as new releases become available from each agency.
For details on how we process and normalize this data, see our methodology.
Primary Sources
The primary source for school and district enrollment, demographics, and directory information. Updated annually by the National Center for Education Statistics.
- Enrollment counts by grade level, race/ethnicity, and gender
- School and district directory information (locale, type, address)
- Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility
- English Language Learner (ELL) counts
- Staffing data including student-to-teacher ratios
Annual financial data including revenues, expenditures, and per-pupil spending for every school district in the country.
- Total revenues by source (federal, state, local)
- Current expenditures by function (instruction, support, administration)
- Per-pupil spending calculations
- Capital outlay and debt service
Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates provide district-level poverty and income data used for Title I funding calculations.
- School-age children in poverty estimates
- Median household income by district
- Poverty rates used in federal funding formulas
Supplementary data from individual state departments of education including test scores, graduation rates, and accountability metrics.
- Graduation and dropout rates
- State assessment proficiency rates
- Accountability ratings and designations
- College readiness indicators
Data Quality & Limitations
Reporting Lag
Federal education data is typically 1-2 school years behind the current year due to collection, verification, and publication timelines. We always display the applicable data year alongside every metric.
Coverage Gaps
Not all states and districts report every metric. Smaller districts, charter school networks, and special-purpose districts may have incomplete data. We clearly mark any missing values rather than imputing or estimating.
Disclaimer
Schools.now is not affiliated with NCES, the U.S. Census Bureau, or any state education agency. All data is provided for informational purposes only. For official statistics, please refer to the original source agencies linked above.
Questions?
If you notice a data discrepancy or have questions about our sources, please reach out at admin@schools.now.