Are Higher Need School Districts Disproportionately Impacted by State Funding Cuts? School Finance Equity in Texas Following the Great Recession

• In Event: 41.083 - Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: 41.083-1 - Educational Equity, Access, and Teacher Misconduct in Texas Schools: Lessons on Law and Policy

Abstract

The Great Recession forced states around the country to make substantial cuts to public education. Districts that rely more heavily on state funding – those with greater concentrations of students in poverty – may be disproportionately impacted by state education funding cuts; however, little prior research examines this issue. This study finds that (a) high-poverty districts in Texas and nationally experienced an inequitable share of funding and staffing cuts following the Great Recession; (b) the funding gap increased in Texas by more than in 43 other states; (c) idiosyncrasies within the Texas school finance system prevented high-poverty districts from maintaining equitable funding levels; and (d) leveling up funding for high-poverty districts would cost the state $9.1 billion.

Author

• David S. Knight, University of Texas at El Paso