Measuring Inequity in School Funding

Measuring Inequity in School Funding PDF Author: Diana Epstein
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 25

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Book Description
Low-income children tend to be concentrated in low-income school districts, and these children often attend schools that receive far fewer resources per pupil despite their greater need. Since education is primarily a state responsibility, more than 90 percent of school funding comes from state and local sources, and the federal government provides the rest. Districts have traditionally drawn much of their revenue from local property taxes, which means districts in high-wealth parts of a state are often funded more generously than districts in low-wealth areas. Over time, some states have moved to school finance models in which districts receive more funding from state sources and rely less on local revenue streams. The shift to higher proportions of state funding is aimed at ensuring districts in lower-wealth areas have access to additional resources so funding across districts is more equitable. In other states, however, the level of school funding is still largely driven by local taxes. This paper discusses the differences in per pupil funding across states by highlighting measures of spending and effort. It then examines the problem of intrastate fiscal inequity and surveys some of the different measures that are used to characterize a state's level of funding equity among districts within a state. It then compares and contrasts the different measures and presents data on states' fiscal equity using a variety of measures. The data demonstrate that many states are not fairly funding their school districts. (Contains 4 figures and 19 endnotes.).

Measuring Inequity in School Funding

Measuring Inequity in School Funding PDF Author: Diana Epstein
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 25

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Book Description
Low-income children tend to be concentrated in low-income school districts, and these children often attend schools that receive far fewer resources per pupil despite their greater need. Since education is primarily a state responsibility, more than 90 percent of school funding comes from state and local sources, and the federal government provides the rest. Districts have traditionally drawn much of their revenue from local property taxes, which means districts in high-wealth parts of a state are often funded more generously than districts in low-wealth areas. Over time, some states have moved to school finance models in which districts receive more funding from state sources and rely less on local revenue streams. The shift to higher proportions of state funding is aimed at ensuring districts in lower-wealth areas have access to additional resources so funding across districts is more equitable. In other states, however, the level of school funding is still largely driven by local taxes. This paper discusses the differences in per pupil funding across states by highlighting measures of spending and effort. It then examines the problem of intrastate fiscal inequity and surveys some of the different measures that are used to characterize a state's level of funding equity among districts within a state. It then compares and contrasts the different measures and presents data on states' fiscal equity using a variety of measures. The data demonstrate that many states are not fairly funding their school districts. (Contains 4 figures and 19 endnotes.).

Equity and Adequacy in Education Finance

Equity and Adequacy in Education Finance PDF Author: Committee on Education Finance
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309520665
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 329

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Book Description
Spending on K-12 education across the United States and across local school districts has long been characterized by great disparities--disparities that reflect differences in property wealth and tax rates. For more than a quarter-century, reformers have attempted to reduce these differences through court challenges and legislative action. As part of a broad study of education finance, the committee commissioned eight papers examining the history and consequences of school finance reform undertaken in the name of equity and adequacy. This thought-provoking, timely collection of papers explores such topics as: What do the terms "equity" and "adequacy" in school finance really mean? How are these terms relevant to the politics and litigation of school finance reform? What is the impact of court-ordered school finance reform on spending disparities? How do school districts use money from finance reform? What policy options are available to states facing new challenges from court decisions mandating adequacy in school finance? When measuring adequacy, how do you consider differences in student needs and regional costs?

The Measurement of Equity in School Finance

The Measurement of Equity in School Finance PDF Author: Robert Berne
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description


Making Money Matter

Making Money Matter PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309172888
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Book Description
The United States annually spends over $300 billion on public elementary and secondary education. As the nation enters the 21st century, it faces a major challenge: how best to tie this financial investment to the goal of high levels of achievement for all students. In addition, policymakers want assurance that education dollars are being raised and used in the most efficient and effective possible ways. The book covers such topics as: Legal and legislative efforts to reduce spending and achievement gaps. The shift from "equity" to "adequacy" as a new standard for determining fairness in education spending. The debate and the evidence over the productivity of American schools. Strategies for using school finance in support of broader reforms aimed at raising student achievement. This book contains a comprehensive review of the theory and practice of financing public schools by federal, state, and local governments in the United States. It distills the best available knowledge about the fairness and productivity of expenditures on education and assesses options for changing the finance system.

The Stealth Inequities of School Funding

The Stealth Inequities of School Funding PDF Author: Bruce D. Baker
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Educational equalization
Languages : en
Pages : 95

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Book Description
"In the education world, the existence of funding inequities has long been a known fact, but the sources of these inequities have not always been obvious. Typically, local property tax variation has been blamed as the sole, or at least primary, cause of inequalities and called for greater state funding as the solution. In practice, however, it is seen that states providing a large share of state aid are not necessarily more equitable in their distribution of school funding. There must therefore be more to the story behind funding inequities. This report tries to provide a fuller picture of the problem so that more is known about what stands in the way of equity. The two chapters that follow explore stealth inequities in school finance, which are defined as often-overlooked features of school funding systems that tend to exacerbate inequities in per-pupil spending rather than reduce them, and that do so in a way that favors communities with the least need ... -- "regressive" school funding distributions where children attending school in higher-poverty districts still have substantially less access to state and local revenue than children attending school in lower-poverty districts"--Page 1.

School Finance

School Finance PDF Author: United States. General Accounting Office
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 56

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Book Description


A Report on Shortchanging Children

A Report on Shortchanging Children PDF Author: William L. Taylor
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 88

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Book Description
The study identifies services that are considered essential to the success of at-risk children and examines the extent to which children in property-poor districts are deprived of these services due to inequitable finance systems.

Necessary But Not Sufficient

Necessary But Not Sufficient PDF Author: Julia C. Warth
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 39

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Book Description
This thesis examines school funding equity measures currently used to assess inter-district equity and explores options for assessing intra-district equity. This type of analysis may prove to be very useful for school district administrators and Washington State policymakers as new legislation is implemented to address the inadequacy of school funding in response to the Washington State Supreme Court decision McCleary v. Washington. A discussion of current equity measures is presented, followed by a discussion of theories of funding adequacy and recent developments in Washington State. Funding data from the 2009-2010 school year is analyzed and discussed using established equity measures. The results of this analysis show that state funding in Washington is fairly equitable on an inter-district level. However, averages used in state and district level data may mask inequities among schools. In light of the state's new focus on adequacy, which is based on school prototypes, the issue of intra-district equity will become more prominent. This paper seeks to establish a system of measurements on a district level that will allow districts to assess whether the new focus on adequacy is impacting equity among schools.

The Property Tax, School Funding Dilemma

The Property Tax, School Funding Dilemma PDF Author: Daphne A. Kenyon
Publisher: Lincoln Inst of Land Policy
ISBN: 9781558441682
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 63

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Book Description
States experiencing taxpayer revolts among homeowners are tempted to reduce reliance on the property tax to fund schools. But a more targeted approach can provide property tax relief and improve state funding for public education. This policy focus report includes a comprehensive review of recent research on both property tax and school funding, and summarizes case studies of seven states-- California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas. The majority of these states are heavily reliant on property tax revenues to fund schools. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, the report recommends addressing property taxes and school funding separately.

The Search for Equity in School Funding

The Search for Equity in School Funding PDF Author: National Conference of State Legislatures
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781555165765
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
After decades of media attention, study, and lawsuits, the solution to inequities in school funding remains elusive. This paper examines several strategies that states have used to try to close the funding disparities in per-pupil spending. It explains the two definitions of equity in the school-finance arena and identifies some important trends in school-finance litigation. Also described are some of the strategies used by states to address problems arising from differences in school spending, such as increasing state spending in low-wealth districts, placing legislative spending caps on wealthy districts, and recapturing or redistributing revenue. The role of state courts in directing remedies to unequal state funding is outlined in the next part. Policymakers also face challenges resulting from a projected growth in elementary-secondary enrollments and the increased need for state support of school-district capital outlay. State policymakers are advised to be sensitive both to taxpayer equity and to concerns for educational equity; maintain the stability of the funding system; include a measure of school-district fiscal capacity in the state-funding approach; examine both the positive and negative circumstances associated with the use of earmarked lottery revenue; be attuned to the principle of program neutrality; consider the funding systems in total; and distribute state resources in such a way that promotes the most efficient use of those resources at the local level. In addition, the federal role in education finance may need to be redefined. One table and one figure are included. Appendices contain states' nontax revenues (lotteries) for education; educational goals for Kentucky; Alabama's essential principles; programs under the Elementary Secondary Education Program; ideas for a broader federal role in education finance; a glossary; and professional organizations' strategies to address equity. (Contains 30 endnotes and 26 references.) (LMI)