What’s Next for PB in Your Schools

A practical guide from the Participatory Budgeting Project for U.S. schools and districts outlining how to move from pilot efforts in participatory budgeting (PB) to more established, sustainable practices.

This document explores key questions for school leaders and educators who have experimented with PB and now want to deepen or scale their efforts. It covers topics such as setting aside meaningful funds for student- and community-led budget decisions; integrating PB into broader school/district governance and budget cycles; building inclusive engagement strategies; ensuring transparency and accountability in implementation; and embedding evaluative practices to capture impact and learnings.

The guide emphasises that PB is not simply a one-off activity but can become a component of democratic school culture—helping students gain voice, strengthening relationships between administrators, teachers, families and community, and directing resources to innovative and equitable priorities.

Source: Participatory Budgeting Project
Language: English

Year of publication: 2020