SALT LAKE CITY — States and the federal government share a vital economic relationship. This data summary, the eleventh in a series on state and federal economic linkages from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, presents the Utah-federal government nexus for federal public education funding in Utah.
“State and local governments fund almost all of Utah’s public education, even as the federal government’s influence has grown nationally,” said Andrea Brandley, senior education analyst at the Gardner Institute. “In Utah, federal funding has generally shrunk over time as a share of the education budget, with brief spikes during downturns like the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Key findings from the summary include the following:
Size – Utah’s FY 2026 state budget includes about $600 million in federal funds for public education, which makes up about 7% of the state’s total public education budget.
Composition – Most of this funding supports four areas: child nutrition, Title programs (primarily serving at-risk students), special education, and career and technical education (CTE). State and local funding sources also contribute to each of these areas. While state and local sources provide most of the funding for special education, at-risk students, and CTE programs, the federal government primarily funds child nutrition programs (mainly through free/reduced-price lunch reimbursement).
Location – All Utah school districts and in-person charter schools receive federal funds. Schools with larger economically disadvantaged populations receive more federal funds through Title 1 funding and free or reduced-price lunch programs. Granite School District received $135 million in FY 2024, the most of any Utah school district. Federal funding per student ranges across school districts from about $400 per student in Morgan School District to almost $8,000 per student in San Juan School District.
Historical Context - Federal education funding tends to rise during economic downturns. Pandemic relief during COVID-19 drove a sharp increase from FY 2021 to FY 2024, temporarily pushing federal support to historic highs. Outside of this temporary surge, Utah’s federal funding has generally declined as a share of total education funding and on a per-pupil inflation-adjusted basis.
The complete data summary is available online.
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