School & District Management Report Roundup

State Education Aid Lags Despite Recovery

By Daarel Burnette II — November 01, 2016 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The vast majority of states are spending less on education than they did before the Great Recession, according to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank that pushes for more vibrant social programs.

“Public investment in K-12 schools—crucial for communities to thrive and the U.S. economy to offer broad opportunity—has declined dramatically in a number of states over the last decade,” says the study released last month. “Worse, most of the deepest-cutting states have also cut income-tax rates, weakening their main revenue source for supporting schools.”

Changes in School Funding, 2008-2014

Both state and local funding for education plummeted after the Great Recession took firm hold in 2008. Even with more recent increases in funding, many states have not yet returned to their previous education spending levels.

NOTE: Excludes Hawaii and Indiana because of lack of data

Source: CBPP Analysis of U.S. Census Bureau; “Public Education Finances, 2014

According to the report, 35 states provided less overall funding for education in 2014 than in 2008, before the recession hit housing prices, generating waves of state and local budget cuts to districts.

In 27 states, the think tank says, local per-pupil funding fell over the same period, adding to the damage of state budget cuts.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the November 02, 2016 edition of Education Week as State Education Aid Lags Despite Recovery

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Equity & Diversity Webinar
Classroom Strategies for Building Equity and Student Confidence
Shape equity, confidence, and success for your middle school students. Join the discussion and Q&A for proven strategies.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Disrupting PD Day in Schools with Continuous Professional Learning Experiences
Hear how this NC School District achieved district-wide change by shifting from traditional PD days to year-long professional learning cycles
Content provided by BetterLesson
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Is the David Porn? Come See, Italians Tell Florida Parents
A Florida principal resigned after complaints about a lesson featuring Michelangelo’s the David.
3 min read
Michelangelo's marble statue of "David", is seen in Florence's Galleria dell' Accademia on May 24, 2004.
Michelangelo's marble statue of "David", is seen in Florence's Galleria dell' Accademia on May 24, 2004.
Fabrizio Giovannozzi/AP
School & District Management 3 Takeaways From Recent Educator Strikes
Support workers are using collective action to push for better working conditions. That activism can take several forms.
4 min read
Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and Service Employees International Union 99 members rally outside the LAUSD headquarters in Los Angeles on March 21, 2023. Thousands of service workers backed by teachers began a three-day strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District, shutting down education for a half-million students in the nation's second-largest school system.
Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and Service Employees International Union 99 members rally outside the LAUSD headquarters in Los Angeles on March 21, 2023. Thousands of service workers backed by teachers began a three-day strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District, shutting down education for a half-million students in the nation's second-largest school system.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
School & District Management What Happened When a District Decided to 'Mess With High School'
Synergy at Mineola High School feels more like a tech startup than a high school. And in many ways, it is.
12 min read
Jared Ebersole teaches students how to build a skateboard at Synergy at Mineola High School in Mineola, N.Y., March 13, 2023.
Local entrepreneur Jared Ebersole teaches students how to build skateboards in the Synergy program at Mineola High School in Mineola, N.Y., on March 13, 2023. The skateboard lessons teach students physics concepts.
Mostafa Bassim for Education Week
School & District Management Q&A There's a Good Chance Your Superintendent Has One of These 15 Names
A researcher's findings highlight just how white and male the American superintendency is.
5 min read
Image of male and female professional silhouettes, with a central male figure punched out in color.
melitas/iStock/Getty + Edweek