The Adequacy of School District Spending in the U.S. Research Brief

Autor/inn/en	Baker, Bruce D.; Di Carlo, Matthew; Weber, Mark
Institution	Albert Shanker Institute; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Graduate School of Education
Titel	The Adequacy of School District Spending in the U.S. Research Brief
Quelle	(2021), (19 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	School Districts; School District Spending; School District Wealth; Expenditure per Student; Elementary Secondary Education; Mathematics Achievement; Reading Achievement; Scores; Costs; Educational Finance; Geographic Regions; Regional Characteristics; Differences + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? School district; Schulbezirk; Mathmatics sikills; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematical ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Leseleistung; Cost; Kosten; Bildungsfonds; Regionaler Faktor; Unterscheiden
Abstract	We present an overview of spending adequacy among individual K-12 school districts in the U.S. Our results are from a new database of over 12,000 public school districts that allows users to compare each district's actual per-pupil spending levels to estimates of adequate spending levels--i.e., spending required to achieve the common goal of national average math and reading scores. The data are for the 2017-18 school year. Predictably, we find substantial heterogeneity, with many districts spending well above our estimated adequacy targets and many others spending well below, in some cases shockingly below. Districts with negative (i.e., inadequate) funding gaps are especially prevalent in the southeast and southwest, but they are also found throughout the entire U.S., including in states, such as Massachusetts and Connecticut, which include generally high-spending districts. The sum of these negative gaps across all districts (ignoring districts with positive gaps) is $104 billion, and the average negative gap is $4,254 per-pupil. Conversely, even in states where underfunding is widespread and typically severe, there are numerous districts in which resources exceed our adequate spending estimates. Finally, we show that the extent of funding inadequacy increases with district child poverty rates and with the proportion of Black and especially Hispanic (Latinx) students served by districts. These results illustrate that most states are failing in their job of filling the holes between districts' costs and their capacity to pay those costs, as well as how, even in states that are more successful, many districts slip through the cracks. An effort to rectify these discrepancies could consist of a strategic expansion of the federal role in education finance, as well as a recalibration of how states fund their schools. High-quality district adequacy measures can help guide this process by identifying where resources are needed most. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Albert Shanker Institute. 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Tel: 202-879-4401; Fax: 202-879-4403; Web site: http://www.shankerinstitute.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01