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READ AFTON'S "TRENDS IN EDUCATION FINANCE"

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The Education Trust, 2/27/18

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.

State Education Funding
Education Dive, 2/20/18

Trump budget plan would cut grants to support education data systems

The Fiscal Year 2019 budget proposal would cut the entire $32 million currently allocated to the program, which also provides state education agencies with resources and technical assistance. The administration justifies the cut by saying that the program has “already successfully completed its mission” and that 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories have already received grants to help them build these systems.

Federal Education Funding
News & Observer, 2/5/18

Pre-K expansion has bipartisan support. But how would NC pay for it?

Significant expansion would be costly. About 62,000 low-income children are eligible for the free NC Pre-K, and about 47 percent of them are being served. The legislature last year funded 3,500 additional slots, which will cost $27 million over two years. Goodnight said the added money will mean about 50 percent of disadvantaged children will be covered, and about 75 percent coverage is about all that’s possible given parent interest. Another challenge is on the horizon. Some schools face a space crunch for pre-K classrooms due to legislative mandates to reduce class size in early grades.

Pre-K
Houston Public Media, 2/15/18

Houston Superintendent defends proposed changes, calls for school finance reform

As for the budget, Carranza said that the new model tries to distribute funds in a more equitable way. But he called on state lawmakers to reform the state’s school finance system, which relies heavily on local property taxes. That’s one reason why HISD is facing a budget shortfall, as property values are expected to fall in the wake of Harvey’s flooding.

Local Education Funding State Education Funding
Education Week, 2/13/18

State K-12 funding, aid formulas high on legislators’ radar

With the state legislative season now in full swing, K-12 funding—as well as the prospect of changes to how that money is distributed among schools—has emerged as a top issue for lawmakers. While bickering over how much money public schools should get is a perennial drama, school finance analysts predict that real and lasting change to states’ school spending habits could be on the horizon.

State Education Funding
Des Moines Register, 2/9/18

Iowa plan to expand school choice includes ESAs, charter school access

Education savings accounts function similar to a voucher program by allowing parents to use state money tax-free to fund private school tuition or other non-public school expenses. Rogers’ plan would prevent the money from being used for home-school expenses. Proponents say the proposal is a way to ensure their tax dollars support their own child’s education, even if they don’t attend public schools. Others favor education savings accounts as a way to ensure lower-income families can access the education facilities of their choice.

Alternative Education Models and Funding Mechanisms
The 74, 2/12/18

By the numbers: President Trump’s 10 biggest proposed cuts to U.S. education, ranked

While the budget overall proposes spending increases for key Trump campaign promises, such as expanding the military and immigration enforcement, the president’s proposal looks to slash the Education Department’s budget by more than 5 percent, cutting back the agency’s $63.2 billion in discretionary funding by $3.6 billion. The Trump administration initially sought much steeper cuts — totaling $8 billion — but the administration released an addendum after Congress reached a two-year spending deal last week.

Federal Education Funding