If your district serves a large number of students of color, it’s likely receiving thousands of dollars less in funding-per-student than predominantly white school systems, a new report reveals. In a district with 5,000 students, that’s a deficit of $13.5 million in state and local revenues, according to the “Equal Is Not Good Enough” report released Thursday by The Education Trust.
The nonprofit equity advocacy organization also found:
- Districts with the most students of color receive 16% less state and local revenue than districts with the fewest students of color.
- Districts with the most English learners receive 14% less state and local revenue, compared to districts with the fewest English learners.
- High-poverty districts receive 5% less (about $800 per student) state and local revenue than low-poverty districts.
The disparities leave districts with the most English learners—and therefore, greater needs for resources—with $2,200 less per student to spend on bilingual educators and critical instructional materials. The report also finds that there are 37 states where districts with the highest concentrations of students from low-income backgrounds are not receiving substantially more funding than more affluent systems.
“Inequities in funding are foundational to inequities in student experiences,” said Denise Forte, CEO of The Education Trust. “We shouldn’t be surprised that students who attend underfunded schools don’t perform as well as their peers on national and state assessments.”
The “Equal Is Not Good Enough” report includes a data tool that breaks funding down school by school within each district and indicates the spending rates for schools that serve more students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, or English learners. New Mexico, Minnesota and Louisiana, which are seen as the most progressive states, provide over 10% more funding for districts with the most students of color. Rhode Island, Connecticut and Nebraska are at the bottom of the list.
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The data is raising the alarm in the wake of recent Nation’s Report Card results, which showed that Black and Latino students had larger-than-average dips on fourth-grade tests, The Education Trust said. Administrators grappling with these inequities have less to spend on proven academic achievement strategies such as extended learning time and targeted intensive tutoring. These schools also experience higher teacher turnover, forcing administrators to fill their classrooms with less experienced educators and preventing students from developing lasting relationships with their teachers.
“Equal Is Not Good Enough” is also an update to a 2018 Education Trust report that also found “devastatingly large” funding gaps in some states. “Our shared goal must be to prepare the nation’s students, regardless of their race or background, for future success and careers,” Forte concluded. “This analysis confirms what we already know: Students of color and students from low-income backgrounds continue to be short-changed.”
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