The Louisiana Department of Education aims to provide the people of Louisiana and others interested in the state's education system a clear picture of where public education dollars come from, where they are going, and what is being achieved with these funds.

Louisiana's annual education budget for Fiscal Year 2012 totals $8.7 billion, including federal, state, and local revenue sources. More than 99% of these education dollars is allocated to schools and districts.

Funding for the Louisiana Department of Education's (LDOE) Operating Budget, including expenditures to support the implementation of statewide initiatives, such as Literacy and Numeracy, High School Redesign, Career and Technical Education and LA4, is limited to 1 percent of the state's total education revenues.

Since 2005, Louisiana's per pupil funding allocation has increased by $776 million – representing a bump from $3,696 to $5,053 per student – a 37 percent increase.  Since 2005, the total MFP allocation to school districts has increased by 27 percent.

As stewards of taxpayer dollars, LDOE is responsible for ensuring that public funds are used to support programs and initiatives with a demonstrated track record of success. The Department's Office of Management and Finance closely evaluates how it expends financial resources and advocates for practices that will most benefit students.