A survey from RAND and the Center on Reinventing Public Education found that school district administrators experienced a notable change in their leading concerns during 2026. Budget pressures and student enrollment declines have become the dominant focus for superintendents nationwide, representing a substantial departure from priorities identified in the previous year.
The research involved 481 district administrators surveyed between March 18 and May 4, with results weighted to ensure national representativeness across district size, locale, poverty levels, and regional variations. Fifty-four percent of respondents identified addressing budget shortages as a top concern, up from 33% in 2025. Meanwhile, 36% cited declining enrollment as a top priority, compared to 25% the prior year. By contrast, raising reading achievement and recruiting effective teachers—which topped the 2025 list at 44% and 42% respectively—declined in prominence this year.
Superintendents pointed to multiple drivers of financial strain, including persistent inflation affecting operational costs, mandatory salary increases for employees, and expenses tied to maintaining staffing positions added during the federal COVID-19 aid period. Rising special education costs and state mandates regarding curriculum purchases also contributed to budget challenges. Rural and suburban administrators reported greater concern about budget shortfalls, while suburban leaders showed less concern about enrollment decline than their urban and rural counterparts.
School choice expansion has emerged as a factor influencing enrollment concerns. Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, which introduced a federal tax-credit scholarship program allowing donors to claim tax credits for contributions to organizations providing private school scholarships and education-related expenses. According to Education Week analysis, 31 states plan to participate in this program. Additionally, superintendents cited pandemic-related student movement, charter school growth, local labor market changes, and out-migration as contributors to enrollment pressure.
Despite budget and enrollment taking priority, administrators indicated that concerns about academic achievement and staffing remain significant. However, these concerns are secondary to the immediate challenge of identifying sustainable spending reductions without compromising core educational and staffing functions. Districts are implementing retention strategies including marketing initiatives, expanded pre-kindergarten services, and specialized programming.
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