Washington, D.C. — Today the U.S. Department of Education released a new report documenting that school districts across the country are unevenly distributing their state and local funds, shortchanging schools that serve low-income students. Cynthia Brown, Vice President for Education Policy at the Center for the American Progress, released the following statement:
Our public education system has been long marred by inequity, and a new report from the U.S. Department of Education shows that schools serving low-income students are not getting their fair share of education dollars. The report found that more than 40 percent of schools that receive federal Title I money to serve low-income students spend less state and local money per pupil than schools that do not receive Title I money in the same district.
This report should serve as a wake-up call to policymakers around the country, and we call on Congress to close the so-called comparability loophole, which would go a long way in helping ensure that all students get their fair share of education funds.
See also: Walking the Talk: Closing the Comparability Requirement Loophole in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act by Saba Bireda and Raegen Miller
To speak with a CAP expert on this topic, please contact Katie Peters at [email protected] or 202.741.6285.
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