Evanston-Skokie School District 65 spent an average of $18,159 per student during the 2020-21 school year, administrators reported Monday.
The district’s K-8 schools spent between $15,177 and $20,092, with special programs like the district’s Early Childhood Center spending more on specific students.
Schools with more low-income and special needs students generally spent more per pupil than schools without those pupils. The disparities in spending were deliberate and part of the district’s pursuit of equity in education, according to district Business Manager Kathy Zalewski and Chief Financial and Operations Officer Raphael Obafemi, who presented the report.
Obafemi noted the spending aligned with state education goals to allocate more public education resources to students with greater need.
“We’ve actually done that in this district,” he said.
The Rice Education Center, which serves student with severe behavioral or mental health issues, spent more than any other program at $88,674 per student, but only serves 24 students.
Average spending increased from $16,372 per pupil in the 2019-2020 school year. The spending per student has gradually increased since Illinois mandated public schools release financial information on the prior school year beginning in 2019.
The data from the report will be published in October by the Illinois Report Card, a database on public schools maintained by the state.
Joshua Irvine is a freelance reporter.
