Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Public Education Funding Inequity in an Era of Increasing Concentration of Poverty and Resegregation

  • 01/11/18

Washington, DC – Today, January 11, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released Public Education Funding Inequity in an Era of Increasing Concentration of Poverty and Resegregation. Based on extensive research and expert testimony, including that collected at the Commission’s public briefing, the report addresses pervasive disparities in funding for public education, and offers actionable recommendations with a goal of improving educational opportunity and student achievement across all segments of our nation’s student population.

Key findings and recommendations from a majority of the Commission include: 
• Vast funding inequities are a significant factor in rendering education available to public school students profoundly unequal.
• This reality of American schooling is fundamentally inconsistent with the ideal of public education as a means to equalize life opportunity, regardless of resident, race, economic status, or life circumstance.
• The majority of states do not allocate more funding to high-poverty school districts. 
• Low-income students and students of color are often relegated to low-quality school facilities.  • Inequalities in educational opportunities are exacerbated by racial segregation and concentrated poverty.
• Congress should declare education a federal right.
• Congress should incentivize states to adopt equitable school finance systems, ensure adequate funding for students with disabilities, and invest in facilities for equitable environments for students to achieve.
• Congress should increase federal funding to supplement state funding; promote collection, monitoring, and evaluation of school spending data; and develop mechanisms to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of federal spending.

Chair Catherine E. Lhamon said, “Pervasive funding inequities continue to plague the nation’s public schools, undermining core American principles of fairness and crippling national progress.  The Commission majority urges Congress to act now to secure a federal education right and incent swift and strong state action to protect learning opportunity for all students.” 

Commissioner statements appended to the report identify specific views and concerns of members of the Commission, including views regarding the harm of unequal education opportunity and recommendations for reform.

To read the report, click here.

Featured

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Zurn Elkay Releases 2025 Sustainability Report

    Zurn Elkay Water Solutions recently announced the release of its annual sustainability report, according to a news release. The 2025 report discusses the organization’s efforts to maintain good environmental stewardship and the solutions provided in helping customers meet sustainability goals.

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.