Oregon’s Common School Fund provides millions of dollars every year to K-12 public schools.
When Oregon was admitted to the Union in 1859, Congress
granted our new state nearly 3.4 million acres of land to help fund schools. Approximately 681,000 acres of school lands remain in state ownership today. The
State Land Board oversees these school lands and the Common School Fund.
As the Land Board’s administrative agency, the Department of State Lands manages school lands, leasing and selling lands to generate revenue for the Fund. Revenue generated by other uses of school lands and Oregon-owned waterways also goes to the Common School Fund, as does interest earned by
unclaimed property.
The State Treasurer and the Oregon Investment Council invest the Common School Fund. In recent years, fund values have ranged from $600 million to more than $2 billion, depending on market conditions.
Every one of Oregon’s 197 public school districts receives money from the Common School Fund every year, with a maximum annual distribution rate of 3.5 percent of the Fund. Distributions in recent years have ranged from a low of $13 million in 2004 to a high of $74.2 million in 2024.
How Much Did Your District Get in 2024?
A record $74.2 million went to Oregon's K-12 public school districts from the Common School Fund in 2024. How much each district receives depends on the number of students served. For example, Portland Public Schools, the state’s largest district, received $6.4 million in 2024. The average 2024 distribution is approximately $376,000.
Current and Past School District Distributions