The subject of the research is the sources of financing of secondary schools in Ukraine and the directions of their optimization are determined. The aim is to study the features of financing of secondary schools in the context of reorganization and to determine ways of economic stimulation of their activities on the basis of the principle “money follows the child”. Research methodology. The work was carried out on the basis of Article 53 of the Constitution of Ukraine, normative acts, legislative acts, financial reports, scientific research of domestic and foreign scientists and practitioners. Research methods: statistical, graphic, statistical and economic, methods of comparison, analysis. The results of the study of the current state of financing of secondary school institutions indicate that in order to solve the problems of the industry, it is necessary to develop a coherent system of measures that will be aimed at ensuring its effective development, taking into account the requirements of European standards. The study also indicates the need for a decentralization reform Scope of the study results. In the context of decentralization and administrative reform, investment in human capital is becoming a leading priority aimed at strategic actions aimed at the economic prosperity of the country. The study of the current state of financing of general education institutions proves that improving the material and technical base, decent wages of teachers make it possible to put the student in the center of attention and create conditions for his harmonious development, and this will provide an opportunity to create competitive human capital for the national economy. To achieve world standards in the field of education, it is necessary to carry out reforms that will provide an effective system of financing. Conclusions. Consequently, the budget deficit for secondary schools affects the decline in the quality and efficiency of educational services. The system of management and control over the activities of budgetary institutions should play a special role. To improve the situation in the field of education financing, it is necessary to form the implementation of budgetary expenditures based on a combination of domestic and international experience, partly from the experience of neighboring Poland, for this it is necessary to carry out an education reform.

The article investigates the main ways of financing general secondary education institutions in Ukraine and developed foreign countries. The main world models of education financing are considered. The foreign experience of management and financing of general secondary education is generalized. Some measures are proposed to eliminate problems with the allocation and use of financial resources for education. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the system of financing of general secondary education at the present stage and to outline the directions of its reform in the conditions of decentralization and administrative reform based on foreign best practices. The article presents the main models of financing education in different countries. The main problems characteristic of the education sector are identified. There is an imperfect funding mechanism, based on directing funds for the maintenance of general secondary education, rather than on ensuring the quality of education in accordance with the principle of «money follows the child», lack of incentives and opportunities for professional development of teachers. The analysis shows that, despite the reform of general secondary education in Ukraine and the planned positive changes and new opportunities due to administrative and financial decentralization, there are a number of factors that negatively affect the financial security of the education sector. These include: shortage of professionals with experience who could implement new powers and manage the distribution of financial resources on the ground, irregular receipt of budget funds and non-transparency of their distribution at the regional and local levels, corruption in education authorities, low financial capacity of communities, imperfection legislation, conflicts over school closures. Therefore, a special role in the process of reforming education should be played by the system of management and control over the activities of budgetary institutions for the efficient use of financial resources of the state. To improve the situation at this stage, the policy of financing education should be formed in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, which regulates the allocation of at least seven percent of GDP for education and socio-economic feasibility of budget expenditures. It is expedient to reform general secondary education by combining domestic and world experience.