Analysis: PTA Purchasing Power Leaves Low-Income Schools Even Further Behind

Authors Samantha Batel and Erin Roth examine the lack of adequate funding sources for schools serving low-income students.

From state budget cuts to federal tax reform, school funding faces real constraints from all sides. But school budgets go beyond public dollars. A hidden piece of the school finance equation is private money raised by parent organizations, funds that give schools flexibility to pay for additional supplies, field trips, and classroom teachers.

The richest PTAs raise and spend more than $43 million a year for the country’s wealthiest schools. But schools serving low-income students, unable to match these dollars, are left without.

The above excerpt was originally published in The 74. Click here to view the full article.

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