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

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • University of Pittsburgh to Build New Residence Hall

    The Board of Trustees from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently approved the construction of a new residence hall for first-year students, according to university news.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.