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‘Weighted’ Funding of Schools Gains Favor

Van Asselt Elementary School sits near the southern edge of Seattle in one of the city’s most impoverished and ethnically diverse neighborhoods. But on many counts, the school itself is anything but poor when compared with the rest of the district.

Classes at Van Asselt are smaller than those in the system as a whole. The school offers all-day kindergarten for free, while schools in wealthier parts of town charge fees to parents who want more than a half-day program. Money for staff training also is more plentiful at the school than elsewhere in the 45,000-student district.

“Our kids need extra support,” said Hajara Rahim, Van Asselt’s principal. “In a high-end school, teachers can function with 29 or 30 kids in a...