Ensuring Fair, Need-Based Funding for Underserved Students

When it comes to making schools better, money matters. The decisions that federal, state, district, and school leaders make about how much to spend, as well as where and how to invest that funding, significantly affect the educational experiences and outcomes of students in the public school system. Research shows that increased school spending leads to increased graduation rates, higher wages, and reduced adult poverty. And yet, the U.S. has one of the most inequitable school funding systems in the world.

The majority of state funding systems perpetuate inequities for students of color, English learners, and students from low-income backgrounds. Thanks to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states must now publicly report school-level spending data, which allows parents and advocates to push for fair funding in their local schools. Ed Trust offers digital tools, reports, and other funding system resources to identify and address inequities in school funding.

• Equal is Not Good Enough: An Analysis of School Funding Equity Across the U.S. and Within Each State
• Dollars & Sense: A Closer Look at the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA)
• School Funding System Failing to Provide Equal Opportunities in Michigan
• How to Use the FundEd Tool to Advocate for Better School Funding Formulas
• 5 Things to Advance Equity in State Funding Systems
• School Funding (Alliance for Resource Equity)

• What Is the State of P-12 Funding Equity in Your State?
• Going Beyond ESSA Compliance: A 50-State Analysis of School Spending Reports
• From Numbers to Insight Leveraging ESSA’s School Spending Requirement for Fair Funding
• Protecting High-Poverty Districts From State Funding Cuts During COVID-19
• WEBINAR: Back from the Edge: How to Avoid Funding Cliffs & Look Toward the Funding Future