How equitable is school funding in Vermont?

The average funding equity score for Vermont school districts is 51 out of 100, compared to the national average of 49. This score considers per-pupil spending, need-adjusted spending, funding source diversity, and student-teacher ratios.

What does the equity score measure?

The equity score (0-100) measures four dimensions: per-pupil spending level, need-adjusted spending (rewarding districts that spend more where poverty is higher), funding diversity (less reliance on local property taxes), and resource access (lower student-teacher ratios).

Vermont · NCES F-33 finance data

School Funding Equity in Vermont

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

Compiled by PlainSchools, Education-data publisher · August 26, 2026

The equity picture in one line

Norwich School District ranks first in Vermont for funding equity at 90/100, in a state whose districts average 51 against a national average of 49.

90/100
top score (Norwich School District): $44,561
per-pupil spending in the top district: 10
districts scoring 70 or higher: 10
districts below 30

#	District	Enrollment	$/Pupil	Free Lunch	Local Rev %	Score
1	Norwich School District	351	$44,561	6.6%	0.7%	90
2	Winooski Incorporated School District	803	$33,225	61.1%	3.3%	85
3	Lamoille North Modified Union School District #058a	629	$24,385	37.2%	1.0%	84
4	Rivendell Interstate School District	427	$31,877	23.5%	4.7%	77
5	Addison Northwest Unified Union School District #54	940	$24,845	19.7%	2.3%	74
6	West River Valley Union Education District #72a	217	$46,111	23.1%	4.2%	74
7	Barre Unified Union School District #97	2,221	$27,371	23.7%	3.4%	73
8	Milton School District	1,478	$25,369	22.0%	1.1%	73
9	Blue Mountain Union School District #21	411	$23,990	39.4%	2.0%	73
10	Burlington School District	3,500	$29,715	40.6%	2.7%	72
11	Missisquoi Valley School District #89	1,842	$24,690	25.9%	2.6%	69
12	Harwood Unified Union School District #60	1,818	$26,132	18.1%	1.9%	69
13	Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64	1,736	$21,505	40.6%	2.2%	69
14	Montpelier Roxbury Unified Union School District #71	1,234	$24,233	19.8%	0.6%	69
15	Newport City School District	315	$20,994	61.3%	0.8%	68
16	Hartford School District	1,459	$27,129	24.4%	20.5%	67
17	Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62	1,268	$24,253	20.6%	1.0%	65
18	Bellows Falls Union High School District #27	318	$18,182	40.6%	0.4%	65
19	Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union Sd #51	3,767	$29,600	13.4%	6.4%	64
20	Twinfield Union School District #33	324	$19,272	27.0%	2.3%	64
21	Alburg School District	203	$21,616	53.1%	1.3%	64
22	Champlain Islands Unified Union School District #66	200	$19,485	32.5%	1.5%	64
23	Maple Run Unified Union School District #57	2,666	$26,352	24.4%	6.9%	63
24	Addison Central Unified Union School District #55	1,773	$25,531	17.1%	3.3%	61
25	Springfield School District	1,243	$26,961	47.8%	6.9%	61
26	Washington Central Unified Union School District #92	1,430	$27,095	17.7%	7.4%	60
27	Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59	859	$33,251	24.4%	9.3%	59
28	Cambridge School District	336	$19,565	17.3%	2.0%	59
29	Mt. Abraham Unified School District #61	1,420	$25,696	15.6%	2.1%	58
30	North Country Union Junior High School District	270	$19,270	54.8%	7.1%	57
31	Vernon School District	204	$18,466	29.7%	3.6%	56
32	Lamoille North Modified Union School District #058b	748	$23,783	27.3%	9.5%	55
33	Twin Valley Unified School District #75	377	$21,162	30.8%	7.1%	55
34	Ludlow Mt. Holly Unified Union School District #83	228	$19,303	34.1%	3.6%	55
35	Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56	4,235	$23,370	11.4%	1.6%	54
36	Lamoille South Unified Union School District #90	1,609	$24,549	16.5%	3.4%	54
37	Saint Johnsbury School District	1,085	$19,826	45.0%	0.4%	54
38	Orleans Southwest Union Elementary School District #94	338	$15,876	25.0%	2.7%	54
39	Rutland City School District	1,960	$30,414	44.1%	8.5%	53
40	Mill River Unified Union School District #52	800	$27,225	33.3%	7.3%	53
41	Georgia School District	632	$14,095	11.7%	0.5%	53
42	First Branch Unified School District #82	312	$13,083	27.0%	0.3%	53
43	Hartland School District	311	$15,981	18.5%	0.4%	51
44	South Burlington School District	2,717	$23,871	15.4%	4.7%	50
45	Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District #401	2,620	$21,876	7.5%	0.9%	50
46	Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96	2,373	$18,907	34.2%	5.9%	50
47	Danville School District	350	$17,594	16.6%	7.2%	50
48	Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78	547	$13,576	24.7%	2.3%	49
49	White River Unified School District #79	629	$16,506	38.8%	6.8%	48
50	Windsor Central Unified Union School District #76	1,027	$19,969	9.8%	8.4%	47
51	Green Mountain Unified School District #77	689	$19,424	36.9%	7.4%	46
52	River Valleys Unified School District #73	202	$16,109	19.8%	2.4%	46
53	Colchester School District	2,435	$22,605	19.7%	3.1%	45
54	Mettawee School District #84	226	$12,035	35.5%	2.2%	45
55	Oxbow Unified Union School District #91	688	$20,702	26.2%	7.1%	43
56	Hazen Union High School District #26	304	$16,454	26.6%	10.1%	43
57	North Country Union High School District	688	$22,447	45.1%	9.6%	42
58	Waits River Union High District #36	317	$14,274	32.7%	0.3%	42
59	Taconic and Green Regional School District #63	1,643	$10,243	28.3%	2.1%	40
60	Thetford School District	387	$12,331	13.0%	0.8%	40
61	Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85	834	$14,306	28.9%	0.8%	39
62	Lake Region Union High School District #24	392	$17,635	30.8%	49.4%	37
63	Rutland Town School District	399	$13,927	10.3%	0.7%	34
64	Mount Anthony Union High School District #14	1,456	$14,021	41.5%	2.6%	33
65	Quarry Valley Unified Union School District #70	1,111	$14,984	26.8%	6.9%	32
66	Otter Valley Unified Union School District #53	1,246	$14,008	39.9%	3.2%	31
67	Weathersfield School District	275	$12,865	18.3%	0.7%	31
68	Craftsbury Town School District	207	$14,609	13.0%	18.8%	31
69	Enosburgh-Richford Unified Union School District #88	1,067	$17,572	45.0%	17.1%	30
70	Lake Region Union Elementary Middle School District	733	$15,738	41.4%	48.0%	30
71	Mount Ascutney School District #86	644	$15,806	18.8%	11.1%	29
72	Echo Valley Community Union School District #67	201	$14,577	36.2%	4.9%	27
73	Paine Mountain Union School District #68	1,061	$12,800	30.6%	3.5%	25
74	Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87	1,425	$11,056	46.6%	1.5%	24
75	Arlington School District	422	$14,791	26.3%	9.1%	24
76	Sharon School District	244	$9,041	30.0%	3.6%	23
77	Barstow Unified Union School District #49	212	$12,090	17.2%	2.0%	23
78	Rockingham School District	532	$13,184	43.4%	5.8%	22
79	Fairfax School District	1,049	$12,475	11.1%	8.6%	18
80	Derby School District	498	$13,492	33.9%	29.0%	11

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 2022-23), 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

National Equity Rankings → ← Back to Vermont

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.