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

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

  • K12 Tutoring Earns Every Student Succeeds Act Level II Validation

    Personalized online tutoring service K12 Tutoring recently announced that it has received Level II validation underneath the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), according to a news release. The independently validated study provides evidence of K12 Tutoring’s role in creating positive student outcomes through effective academic intervention and research-based solutions.

  • modern college building with circuit and brain motifs

    Anthropic Introduces Claude for Education

    Anthropic has launched a version of its Claude AI assistant tailored for higher education institutions. Claude for Education "gives academic institutions secure, reliable AI access for their entire community," the company said, to enable colleges and universities to develop and implement AI-enabled approaches across teaching, learning, and administration.

  • Design Firm Populous Acquires Fentress Architects

    Design firm Populous, which specializes in sports and entertainment venues, recently announced its acquisition of Fentress Architects, based in Denver, Colo., according to a news release. Fentress’ primary focus is aviation projects and public buildings like museums, convention centers, and government facilities

  • KI Wall Demonstrates New Solutions at NeoCon 2025

    KI Wall attended NeoCon 2025 in Chicago, Ill., last month to showcase its new architectural wall systems and collaborations, according to a news release. Its customizable, design-forward wall solutions are intended to support creativity in work, education, and healthcare environments.

Digital Edition