Richest School Districts in America: 24/7 Wall St. Rankings

Numerous school districts across the country are facing significant budget cuts, with return to pre-recession levels not expected until 2013 at best.

The cuts have hit hardest in rural areas such as Keller, Texas, where the district implemented a pay-for-ride transportation system to save having to cut busing altogether.

Nationwide, 120 districts have resorted to a four-day school week as of October, and others are canceling field trips, charging students to play sports and eradicating after-school programs.

Rob Monson, president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, told the Associated Press last fall that districts have had to postpone purchasing textbooks and technology, as well as training teachers.

That said, several states like Maryland, Massachusetts and Iowa have increased educational funding over the last few years, having prioritized sustaining or improving education funds despite tighter budgets. Meanwhile, Alaska, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming have faced fewer budget cuts, and are able to rely on large oil and gas revenues.

A report out in April also found huge educational disparities according to a family's zip code. The Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program report found that low-income students are severely disadvantaged by zoning and construction laws that limit them from attending high-performing school, which tend to sit in wealthier neighborhoods.

So where are some of these privileged public school districts? The savvy minds of 24/7 Wall St. set out to locate them by analyzing Census data from 2006 through 2010 for more than 10,000 school districts across the country:

Residents that live in wealthy school districts have among the best schools in the nation based on graduation rates, test scores and independent ratings of academic success. Children who attend these schools are more likely to earn a college degree than the national average. To illustrate the influence wealth and poverty have on educational attainment, 24/7 Wall St. examined the wealthiest and poorest school districts in the country.

Below, check out a slideshow of what 24/7 Wall St. found to be the 10 richest school districts in America. And for more on these rich districts, head over to 24/7 Wall St.