Analyses that claim to estimate the cost of educating unaccompanied minors in the U.S. often misrepresent or overlook important details about K-12 educational funding. They propose ill-conceived solutions, failing to account for the complexities of how public schools are funded. Framing education as a burden borne solely by American taxpayers ignores the fact that sponsors of unaccompanied minors – even sponsors living in the U.S. without status – also contribute to public school funding, just like the parents or guardians of other children. A more accurate and comprehensive analysis highlights a broader perspective of who funds public education and underscores how providing education to all students benefits the nation as a whole.

Unaccompanied minors are children under 18 who enter the U.S. without an accompanying adult or a legal status. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received 128,904 of these minors, the majority coming from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Many of these children fled extreme violence, gang activity, and corruption in their home countries, enduring significant trauma during their journey in search of safety in the U.S. Upon arrival, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a division of HHS, takes responsibility for their care. On average, these children spend 27 days under ORR supervision.

After their initial processing, unaccompanied minors are typically released from federal custody and placed with a sponsor – usually a parent, relative, or family friend – who can provide a safe environment while their immigration cases proceed. Like all children in the U.S., they are legally entitled to enroll in public schools and receive educational services, regardless of their sponsors’ actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status. 

Where does K-12 funding come from?

Funding for American public schools primarily comes from state and local governments, with less than 15% coming from federal sources. The chart below illustrates the proportion of public school funding from these sources. 

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The Department of Education mainly funds public schools through grant programs that provide additional support to low-income students or students with disabilities. Other federal agencies, like the Department of Agriculture, also fund public schools by administering child nutrition programs.

State-level grants provide approximately 44% of K-12 funding. These are typically distributed using a formula that calculates how to distribute education funds among school districts. The formula sets a base amount and adjusts it based on the identified educational requirements of individual students. The weight depends on the student’s identified educational needs, with the exact calculation methodology varying by state. 

For example, students enrolled in special education, English Language Learners, or at-risk programs receive additional funding. However, not all states use this approach; some allocate funds based on available resources, such as the teacher-to-student ratio. The chart below illustrates the different ways in which state governments allocate funding for public schools.

Finally, 83% of local government revenue for school districts comes from property taxes. The graph below shows the different funding sources for public schools in the U.S.

Do sponsors of unaccompanied minors contribute to public school funding?

Sponsors of unaccompanied minors contribute to the taxes that fund public schools, just like the parents or guardians of other students in the U.S., even if they are undocumented. ORR does not disqualify potential sponsors based on their immigration status, nor is their status used for enforcement purposes. 

In fact, undocumented immigrants make substantial contributions to the tax base that funds public education. Notably, in 40 out of 50 states, undocumented immigrants pay a higher percentage of their income in state and local taxes than the top 1% of households.

According to estimates by the Commonwealth Institute, between 67% and 75% of undocumented immigrants pay state income taxes, either through payroll withholding or by using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs). This translates to an estimated $42.6 to $101.8 million per year in state income taxes in Virginia alone. Nationwide, approximately 26% of state tax revenue goes to K-12 education. 

Undocumented immigrants also contribute to property taxes, either directly as homeowners or indirectly as renters, further supporting local school funding. For instance, in 2022, undocumented immigrants contributed $10.4 billion through property taxes. Revenues from local property taxes made up 36% of total revenue for public schools in FY2021. 

In 2022, it is estimated that undocumented immigrants contributed $59.4 billion to the federal government. Approximately five percent of all federal payroll tax revenue is allocated to educational programs, including public school funding.

Are state and local governments burdened financially to accommodate unaccompanied minors?

Despite claims that including unaccompanied minors in public schools can create a “negative effect on the classroom,” (citing potential challenges with classroom management and English language proficiency) public schools are not without support when accommodating these students. According to a fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Education schools are eligible for additional federal funding through several programs if they enroll unaccompanied minors: 

  • Additional funding under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which supports schools with high percentages of children from low-income families
  • Up to 15% of ESEA Title III funds for schools with significantly increased migrant student admittance
  • Migrant Education Programs under Title I, Part C of the ESEA for children who either are migratory agricultural or fisher workers or are under the guardianship of someone who is

These funds can be used to support public schools, educational programs, and community schools, including English learning proficiency programs. Notably, in many cases, these additional resources benefit not only unaccompanied minors but the entire student population, as the grants are applied to programs and resources that serve all students in the school.

Should we educate migrant children?

These figures make a compelling argument that sponsors of unaccompanied minors contribute equally to public school funding regardless of their immigration status. Even the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank advocating for reduced immigration, acknowledges that undocumented immigrants “unambiguously benefit” some federal trust funds. 

Crucially, any proposal to charge tuition for undocumented children or exclude them from public education ignores the Supreme Court’s landmark 1982 decision, which upheld the right to public education for all children, regardless of immigration status, stating that no compelling interest was served by denying education. Additionally, proposals to collect and report immigration status data during school enrollment raise significant privacy concerns, potentially discouraging children from attending school or accessing programs like nutrition services, to which they are entitled. The Supreme Court’s ruling remains as relevant today as in 1982, underscoring how providing educational opportunities for all children benefits society in many ways.

While the arrival of undocumented children, including unaccompanied minors, may present challenges for public schools, it is essential to consider the broader economic context. Before labeling all expenses associated with educating unaccompanied minors as a “cost” to the state, it is important to understand the complexities of public school funding in the U.S. A more comprehensive analysis of the available data shows that sponsors of unaccompanied minors contribute significantly to the tax base that supports education, often without accessing many of the services they help fund if they are undocumented. Denying unaccompanied minors public school access to education is not only unjust but also serves no legitimate public interest.