Investing for Student Success

Public schools in the United States are among the most inequitably funded of any in the industrialized world. Ironically, as a function of the commitment to education in each of the small towns that emerged as the country grew, the funding system that resulted is rooted in local property tax bases that are highly unequal. State funding rarely equalizes these disparities adequately. As a result, by every measure of qualifications, students in low-wealth districts, who are frequently students from low-income families, typically have the fewest resources, including less-qualified teachers, poorer curricula, larger classes, and fewer materials for learning.

Research shows that when more money is spent on education, especially for students from low-income families, achievement and graduation rates improve, as do life outcomes such as employment, and wages. Such investments also reduce poverty rates. But because of funding inequities, students in low-income districts, who are frequently from low-income families, typically have less access to essential educational resources such as qualified teachers, high-quality curricula, smaller class sizes, and high-quality materials for learning.