Dive Brief:
- A new report from Education Trust looks at state, county, and city funding of schools, since these local budgets in fact supply an estimated 87% of most district budgets.
- The study found that, on average, high-poverty districts receive 10% ($1,200) less in state and local funding than their middle and upper class counterparts. Illinois stood out as one of the worst offenders, with high-poverty districts getting an average of 20% less than more affluent counterparts.
- There are 17 states, however, where high-poverty districts actually receive more funding. Ohio, Minnesota, and South Dakota are called out for their "progressive" funding models, where disadvantaged districts get an average of 20% more funding.
Dive Insight:
Yahoo News brings up a great point, for all the talk about federal education funding, not enough time is spent (at least in the media) breaking down state and local education spending policies.
While the media may not be paying attention, families and community members sure are. In Pennsylvania, for example, a number of parents and the state's NAACP chapter have filed a lawsuit that specifically deals with inadequate funding, specifically when it comes to the state's funding formula.
A Tennessee school district also made news earlier this month when it sued the state for inadequate funding. In that scenario there were even complaints of schools being unable to buy basic necessities like toilet paper.