Money for a desk: why the financial possibilities of schools depend on the region
Uniform educational standards do not guarantee the same learning conditions: the cost per pupil in different regions of the country differs almost threefold. The gap is affected by the capacity of local budgets, the cost of teachers and the number of children in classes. Experts believe that the current approach to the allocation of funds needs to be changed. Why the quality of school education depends on the place of residence is in the "Izvestia" material.
Why do schools have different opportunities?
On September 1, new approaches aimed at strengthening the educational space and strengthening educational work began to operate in Russian schools. However, uniform requirements do not mean equal conditions for all students yet: the cost of education for one child in the regions may vary significantly, experts from the SBS consulting company told "Izvestia".
Schooling in Russia is regulated by the unified federal state educational standards, but their implementation largely depends on the capabilities of the subjects of the Russian Federation. Thus, 96.6% of the funds come from budgetary sources. At the same time, 72% are provided by the regions themselves. Because of this, some territories can invest significantly more in schools than others.
In 2025, Moscow spent the most per pupil — 349 thousand rubles per year. In St. Petersburg, this amount amounted to 287 thousand rubles, in Karachay-Cherkessia - 156 thousand, and in Chechnya — 117 thousand rubles. Thus, in Moscow, the cost per pupil is about three times higher than in regions with minimal values.
This gap affects not only the equipment of schools, but also the workload of teachers. According to Vyacheslav Romanychev, project manager at SBS, the system often covers the shortage of money, personnel and time at the expense of teachers themselves.
— A teacher today has to work simultaneously for a methodologist, a psychologist, and a social worker. At the same time, in most regions his base salary does not reach the minimum wage. This is not just a question of working conditions, it is a question of the sustainability of the entire public school system.
Equal access to education is becoming increasingly important as demands on schools increase. New standards and federal programs determine not only learning outcomes, but also the conditions that must be created in schools. At the same time, as the authors of the study note, no separate funding is provided for some of these requirements.
In particular, we are talking about the availability of concert halls and rooms for storing musical instruments in schools. It is not easy for regions with limited budgets to create such an infrastructure.
In addition, the funding depends on the number of students. This is especially sensitive for rural areas: if there are few children, the school receives less funds.
How does the regional budget affect the school
The gap is also reflected in the quality of education. In 2026, Moscow had 15 diplomas from the All-Russian School Olympiad for every 100,000 residents, while St. Petersburg had 6.15. In Karachay-Cherkessia, this figure was 0.21, and in Chechnya — 0.19.
According to Irina Abankina, a professor at the HSE Institute of Education, the difference in funding is explained not only by the capabilities of the regions, but also by objective reasons. For example, somewhere the costs of utilities, building maintenance are higher, or there are additional payments for work in difficult conditions.
Another factor is the level of remuneration. It depends on the average salary in the region: where it is higher (for example, in Moscow), schools need more money per pupil.
Irina Abankina noted that in the capital, teachers' salaries are set at 110% of the regional average, while in other regions this level does not reach 100%. According to her, it is labor costs that largely determine the difference in funding.
At the same time, many regions have limited opportunities due to their heavy debt burden. As the expert explained, they often do not have enough funds not only for development, but also to cover current expenses.
Russian schools receive money from the federal, regional and municipal budgets, explained Dmitry Kazakov, chairman of the "Teacher" trade union. However, teachers' salaries and a significant part of other expenses depend on the financial capabilities of the subject.
— It is possible to reduce the gap with the help of a general standard that would guarantee schools a certain amount of funds. Ideally, the main funding should be provided at the federal level, and the regions could allocate additional money based on their capabilities," he believes. — The lower the funding, the lower the salaries and the greater the shortage of teachers. Young professionals are reluctant to go to work in schools, and current teachers are forced to take one and a half to two rates, sometimes more.
The average workload per teacher, according to him, is about 1.6 percent. That's about 28 lessons per week instead of the usual 18. As a result, teachers do not have enough time to prepare for classes, check papers, and perform other duties.
— With such a busy schedule, the teacher cannot fully prepare for each lesson. The quality of teaching is declining, and families are forced to turn to tutors — often the same teachers. A vicious circle is emerging," the expert emphasized.
A separate difficulty is rural schools, where there are usually fewer students in classes. At the same time, in the regions of the North Caucasus, where school funding is lower, the proportion of rural schoolchildren is especially high. Because of this, it is difficult to equalize costs between different regions of the Russian Federation: even additional assistance from the federal budget does not always make it possible to reduce the difference. All this leads to inequality in education, Irina Abankina believes.
"Izvestia" sent a request to the Ministry of Education and Science with a request to assess the situation. At the time of publication, no response had been received from the agency.
How to solve the problem
The key reason for the gap lies in the financing mechanism itself, confirmed Anastasia Gorelkina, Chairman of the Board of Directors of HC "Siberian Business Union" JSC.
— The principle of per capita financing is formally fair: as many students as there are, so much money, — the expert noted. — But with a small number of students, the allocated funds are often not enough even for the basic costs of maintaining the building and attracting the right specialists. Therefore, schools in sparsely populated areas have to look for ways to preserve education for children.
According to Anastasia Gorelkina, the main task is to reduce the difference between regions, taking into account the specifics of each territory.
"First of all, it is worth reviewing the funding standards, making them more flexible: take into account not only the number of students, but also the specifics of the place — remoteness, infrastructural difficulties, the presence of special categories of children," she stressed.
Additional payments or special support programs can be provided for sparsely populated areas. Assistance to regions with limited budgets is also important.
A separate problem is the shortage of teachers. According to Anastasia Gorelkina, it is difficult for schools in regions with low funding to retain teachers due to the high workload and modest pay.
Where it becomes too difficult to maintain a separate school, it is worth using distance and blended learning more actively. This will give children the opportunity to learn from good specialists without spending a lot of time on the road. In addition, it is important that expenses are clear: an open allocation of funds will allow you to direct money to where it is really needed.
According to Irina Abankina, the regions need more targeted federal support — funds that will be directed specifically to the development of education. Currently, federal aid often comes in the form of general transfers, which are used to cover various budget expenditures.
"Any targeted measures are only temporary pain relief,— Vyacheslav Romanychev believes.
According to him, increasing funding alone will not solve the problem: systemic changes are needed. It is necessary to review the workload, clearly allocate responsibilities and create transparent remuneration. This will make it possible to attract and retain teachers, who directly determine how effectively the funds invested in education will work.
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