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Since taking office in January, the Biden administration has faced the formidable task of addressing the damage from the previous administration while tackling long-standing systemic issues that have affected the nation for generations. One critical area in need of reform is education funding.
The disparities in public education funding are so entrenched that they often feel overwhelming. However, the Biden administration is determined to make a difference. Their education funding proposal includes a $20 billion initiative aimed at supporting high-poverty school districts, with the promise of additional funding for states that take steps to rectify the historical funding imbalances between affluent and underprivileged districts.
I must admit, I didn’t always understand how flawed our education funding system is. At first glance, the idea of communities financing their local schools appears reasonable. After all, it’s a long-standing practice. But that belief is misguided. It’s disheartening to realize how deeply rooted racism, classism, and inequity are in the current public education funding structure.
Understanding Public School Funding
For those who might share my earlier naivety, here’s a brief explanation of how public school funding operates: students are allocated to school districts based on where they live, and public schools receive funding from a combination of local revenues (primarily property taxes), state funds, and a minimal amount of federal support. The reliance on property taxes varies by state, which can lead to significant differences in educational resources based on geographic location.
At first glance, using local sources to fund schools seems logical – you attend school in your community, and it is funded, at least in part, by local taxes. Property taxes are often seen as a stable revenue source, which is true. However, this reliance means that schools in wealthier areas—where property values are higher—receive more funding than those in less affluent neighborhoods.
The issue lies not in the concept of property taxes themselves but in how those taxes are limited to the arbitrary boundaries of school districts. As Rebecca Collins, a policy analyst, explained, “We’ve conflated the idea of local funding and control of schools. What we need to focus on is separating those ideas. Just because a community runs its own schools doesn’t mean it should retain all its funding.”
The New York Times highlights that the current system has resulted in a patchwork of over 16,000 school districts, many of which were designed to concentrate resources in predominantly white areas. Research from EdBuild shows that districts with over 75% white students receive $23 billion more annually compared to those with a majority of students of color, despite the latter serving more students overall.
The Consequences of Disparities
These disparities are not trivial; they have significant consequences. The Learning Policy Institute notes that the highest-spending districts can spend nearly ten times more than the lowest-spending ones, with vast differences both between and within states. In many areas, children in low-income neighborhoods find themselves in severely underfunded schools.
Such inequities are not only classist but also racially discriminatory. They starkly contradict the principles of public education, which should provide equal access for every child. As Jeff Raikes and Linda Darling-Hammond stated, “We’ve inadvertently created a school finance system that mirrors the harmful effects of redlining.” If you grow up in a wealthy neighborhood, your public schools are well-funded; if you’re from a poorer area, the opposite is true.
Shifting Focus to Equitable Funding
For the past couple of decades, efforts to equalize educational opportunities have focused on academic standards and testing rather than equitable funding—an approach that has proven ineffective. Contrary to the belief that equitable funding is futile, recent studies show that it significantly enhances educational outcomes. States like Minnesota, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, which maintain equitable funding, rank among the highest in educational achievement worldwide.
While the specifics of Biden’s plan are still being developed, education experts are optimistic about its potential to address the inequities caused by the current funding system. Former policy director at EdBuild, Nadia Johnson, praised the initiative for not only injecting funds where they are needed but also for encouraging states to reform the policies that perpetuate disparities in funding.
Kudos to the Biden administration for embarking on this crucial mission to foster a more equitable society. Though the challenge may seem daunting, it’s essential to take the initial steps toward reform. As the New York Times aptly noted, “The first step toward a fairer funding system may be simply recognizing that it is possible.”
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Summary
The Biden administration is taking significant steps to address deep-rooted disparities in public education funding, particularly through a proposed $20 billion initiative aimed at supporting high-poverty school districts and encouraging states to rectify funding inequalities. The existing funding model, reliant on local property taxes, disproportionately benefits wealthier communities, perpetuating systemic racism and classism. Experts believe that equitable funding can lead to improved educational outcomes, and the Biden plan is a welcome attempt to initiate change in the education system.