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 Editorial, Independent education-data publisher · June 10, 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): $40,027
per-pupil spending in the top district: 12
districts scoring 70 or higher: 14
districts below 30

#	District	Enrollment	$/Pupil	Free Lunch	Local Rev %	Score
1	Norwich School District	351	$40,027	6.6%	0.7%	90
2	Lamoille North Modified Union School District #058a	629	$24,046	37.2%	1.0%	87
3	Winooski Incorporated School District	803	$38,145	61.1%	3.3%	85
4	Rivendell Interstate School District	427	$29,670	23.5%	4.7%	77
5	Addison Northwest Unified Union School District #54	940	$24,042	19.7%	2.3%	76
6	West River Valley Union Education District #72a	217	$42,991	23.1%	4.2%	74
7	Burlington School District	3,500	$28,262	40.6%	2.7%	72
8	Barre Unified Union School District #97	2,221	$25,148	23.7%	3.4%	71
9	Missisquoi Valley School District #89	1,842	$23,788	25.9%	2.6%	70
10	Harwood Unified Union School District #60	1,818	$25,042	18.1%	1.9%	70
11	Milton School District	1,478	$22,807	22.0%	1.1%	70
12	Champlain Islands Unified Union School District #66	200	$19,982	32.5%	1.5%	70
13	Hartford School District	1,459	$28,056	24.4%	20.5%	69
14	Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62	1,268	$24,015	20.6%	1.0%	68
15	Montpelier Roxbury Unified Union School District #71	1,234	$21,708	19.8%	0.6%	68
16	Bellows Falls Union High School District #27	318	$17,468	40.6%	0.4%	68
17	Newport City School District	315	$19,652	61.3%	0.8%	67
18	Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64	1,736	$18,643	40.6%	2.2%	66
19	Blue Mountain Union School District #21	411	$19,466	39.4%	2.0%	66
20	North Country Union Junior High School District	270	$21,304	54.8%	7.1%	66
21	Mettawee School District #84	226	$17,800	35.5%	2.2%	65
22	First Branch Unified School District #82	312	$16,742	27.0%	0.3%	64
23	Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union Sd #51	3,767	$27,102	13.4%	6.4%	63
24	Maple Run Unified Union School District #57	2,666	$24,806	24.4%	6.9%	63
25	Alburg School District	203	$19,562	53.1%	1.3%	63
26	Springfield School District	1,243	$26,125	47.8%	6.9%	62
27	Twinfield Union School District #33	324	$17,447	27.0%	2.3%	62
28	Addison Central Unified Union School District #55	1,773	$23,788	17.1%	3.3%	61
29	Washington Central Unified Union School District #92	1,430	$25,398	17.7%	7.4%	60
30	Vernon School District	204	$18,455	29.7%	3.6%	59
31	Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59	859	$28,623	24.4%	9.3%	58
32	Twin Valley Unified School District #75	377	$21,107	30.8%	7.1%	58
33	Cambridge School District	336	$18,350	17.3%	2.0%	58
34	Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56	4,235	$22,463	11.4%	1.6%	57
35	Mt. Abraham Unified School District #61	1,420	$23,163	15.6%	2.1%	57
36	Ludlow Mt. Holly Unified Union School District #83	228	$18,095	34.1%	3.6%	56
37	Hartland School District	311	$16,785	18.5%	0.4%	54
38	Rutland City School District	1,960	$27,621	44.1%	8.5%	53
39	Lamoille South Unified Union School District #90	1,609	$22,256	16.5%	3.4%	53
40	Mill River Unified Union School District #52	800	$26,995	33.3%	7.3%	53
41	Lamoille North Modified Union School District #058b	748	$21,187	27.3%	9.5%	53
42	Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96	2,373	$17,938	34.2%	5.9%	51
43	South Burlington School District	2,717	$21,608	15.4%	4.7%	50
44	Georgia School District	632	$12,747	11.7%	0.5%	50
45	Orleans Southwest Union Elementary School District #94	338	$14,639	25.0%	2.7%	50
46	Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District #401	2,620	$20,343	7.5%	0.9%	48
47	White River Unified School District #79	629	$16,205	38.8%	6.8%	48
48	North Country Union High School District	688	$22,330	45.1%	9.6%	45
49	Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78	547	$12,195	24.7%	2.3%	45
50	Colchester School District	2,435	$20,786	19.7%	3.1%	44
51	Saint Johnsbury School District	1,085	$15,996	45.0%	0.4%	44
52	Waits River Union High District #36	317	$14,878	32.7%	0.3%	44
53	Danville School District	350	$15,277	16.6%	7.2%	43
54	River Valleys Unified School District #73	202	$15,127	19.8%	2.4%	43
55	Hazen Union High School District #26	304	$16,530	26.6%	10.1%	42
56	Otter Valley Unified Union School District #53	1,246	$17,229	39.9%	3.2%	41
57	Windsor Central Unified Union School District #76	1,027	$17,428	9.8%	8.4%	41
58	Taconic and Green Regional School District #63	1,643	$9,641	28.3%	2.1%	40
59	Green Mountain Unified School District #77	689	$16,777	36.9%	7.4%	40
60	Oxbow Unified Union School District #91	688	$18,805	26.2%	7.1%	40
61	Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85	834	$13,883	28.9%	0.8%	38
62	Thetford School District	387	$10,388	13.0%	0.8%	38
63	Lake Region Union High School District #24	392	$17,388	30.8%	49.4%	37
64	Rutland Town School District	399	$13,504	10.3%	0.7%	34
65	Enosburgh-Richford Unified Union School District #88	1,067	$16,722	45.0%	17.1%	30
66	Weathersfield School District	275	$12,123	18.3%	0.7%	30
67	Mount Anthony Union High School District #14	1,456	$13,069	41.5%	2.6%	29
68	Quarry Valley Unified Union School District #70	1,111	$14,376	26.8%	6.9%	29
69	Craftsbury Town School District	207	$13,813	13.0%	18.8%	29
70	Lake Region Union Elementary Middle School District	733	$14,853	41.4%	48.0%	28
71	Barstow Unified Union School District #49	212	$13,234	17.2%	2.0%	27
72	Arlington School District	422	$15,299	26.3%	9.1%	26
73	Sharon School District	244	$11,292	30.0%	3.6%	26
74	Paine Mountain Union School District #68	1,061	$12,716	30.6%	3.5%	25
75	Mount Ascutney School District #86	644	$13,893	18.8%	11.1%	25
76	Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87	1,425	$10,568	46.6%	1.5%	24
77	Rockingham School District	532	$13,143	43.4%	5.8%	23
78	Derby School District	498	$15,422	33.9%	29.0%	19
79	Echo Valley Community Union School District #67	201	$12,133	36.2%	4.9%	18
80	Fairfax School District	1,049	$10,865	11.1%	8.6%	17

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

National Equity Rankings → ← Back to Vermont

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