Source checked November 4, 2026 · U.S. Department of Justice guidance.
Enter the population your district uses.
Use residents, not students. This version estimates a date from the population you enter; it does not look up a district or fetch Census data.
To finish before your deadline, start your Backlog Report this month.
How to choose your population
Follow the DOJ’s school district guidance. City districts use city population; county districts use county population. Independent districts use the most recent Census SAIPE population estimate.
Next: turn the date into a plan
Read the deadline guide, identify your high-priority documents, and request a free PDF Backlog Report.
Keep the source alongside the result
When your district uses the estimate in a planning conversation, keep the entered population, data source, data year, entity basis, and date checked together. That makes the result easier for another staff member to understand. A screenshot of a date without its assumptions is a weak planning record.
If you are uncertain which population basis applies, resolve that question before using a result to set project milestones. The tool calculates from your input; it does not identify the correct legal entity or verify your population.
From estimated date to scoped work
The next useful step is an inventory of current public tasks and documents. Identify the content owners, source files, recurring publishing patterns, and vendor dependencies. Use a representative sample to understand complexity before asking for a fixed quote.
The full deadline guide provides a planning framework. Docs, Web, and Care can then be scoped against the work your district actually needs.