Funding Gaps Report: Analysis on School Funding Inequity

Posted by Education Trust on March 5, 2018

An Analysis of School Funding Equity Across the U.S. and Within Each State

School districts that serve large populations of students of color and students from low-income families receive far less funding than those serving White and more affluent students. And despite widespread attention to inequitable school funding formulas — and courts that have declared them unlawful for shortchanging school districts serving large percentages of low-income students — too many states continue this unfair practice.

School Funding by Students of Color
In the U.S. today, school districts serving the largest populations of Black, Latino, or American Indian students receive roughly $1,800, or 13 percent, less per student in state and local funding than those serving the fewest students of color. This may seem like an insignificant amount, but it adds up. For a school district with 5,000 students, a gap of $1,800 per student means a shortage of $9 million per year.

https://edtrust.org/resource/funding-gaps-2018/