Florida · NCES F-33 finance data

School Funding Equity in Florida

67 districts ranked by how equitably school funding is distributed, scored from NCES F-33 school finance data covering districts in all 50 states.

51
State avg score
49
National avg score
67
Districts ranked

The equity picture in one line

Gadsden ranks first in Florida for funding equity at 94/100, in a state whose districts average 51 against a national average of 49.

94/100
top score (Gadsden)
$13,468
per-pupil spending in the top district
8
districts scoring 70 or higher
9
districts below 30
# District Score
1 Gadsden 94
2 Jackson 85
3 Liberty 85
4 Lafayette 84
5 Taylor 79
6 Franklin 77
7 Glades 75
8 Madison 70
9 Gulf 69
10 Monroe 68
11 Hardee 68
12 Desoto 68
13 Calhoun 68
14 Hamilton 68
15 Sarasota 66
16 Highlands 66
17 Jefferson 66
18 Collier 62
19 Dixie 62
20 Holmes 61
21 Palm Beach 60
22 Washington 60
23 Pinellas 59
24 Indian River 59
25 Columbia 59
26 Putnam 57
27 Union 57
28 Citrus 56
29 Polk 55
30 Levy 53
31 Miami-Dade 51
32 Orange 51
33 Clay 50
34 Escambia 49
35 Gilchrist 49
36 Broward 48
37 Baker 48
38 Wakulla 47
39 Okaloosa 44
40 Martin 44
41 Walton 44
42 Okeechobee 44
43 Brevard 43
44 Manatee 43
45 St. Lucie 43
46 Marion 42
47 Charlotte 40
48 Suwannee 40
49 Bradford 40
50 Duval 39
51 Volusia 39
52 Hernando 39
53 Sumter 36
54 Leon 35
55 Santa Rosa 35
56 Hillsborough 32
57 Pasco 31
58 Alachua 31
59 Lake 29
60 Bay 29
61 Hendry 29
62 Lee 24
63 Osceola 24
64 Seminole 24
65 St. Johns 23
66 Nassau 21
67 Flagler 16

How the Equity Score Works

The equity score (0-100) evaluates four dimensions of school funding fairness. According to the National Center for Education Statistics F-33 Finance Survey (FY 2021-22, released in 2024), which covers more than 17,000 districts nationwide, local property wealth drives most of the spending differences the score captures; our methodology documents each weight:

Per-Pupil Spending (0-25)
Higher spending relative to peers
Need-Adjusted Spending (0-25)
Spending weighted by poverty level, rewards districts that spend more where need is greatest
Funding Diversity (0-25)
Less reliance on local property taxes, more state/federal support
Resource Access (0-25)
Lower student-teacher ratios = more individualized attention