40+% of school districts shortchanging poor students

[The Straight Story]

More than 40 percent of U.S. school districts are short-changing campuses with high concentrations of low-income children, according to a federal study released Wednesday.

The Houston Independent School District is one of the biggest offenders, according to the report from the U.S. Department of Education, and proposed changes to federal education law could cost HISD.

The study compares how much districts spend on schools with high and low numbers of poor children.

Schools with more low-income students receive federal funding, called Title I, that is supposed to provide those campuses with extra resources. The new analysis found that many districts aren’t paying their fair share of local and state funds to those schools, so campuses with fewer poor children end up with more money.

...

The study is unique because it looks at actual spending in schools. For example, each teacher’s salary is included instead of using an average salary.

http://blog.chron.com/k12zone/2011/11/districts-shortchanging-poor-students-study-finds/

[xchrom]

1. Infuriating. Nt

[w8liftinglady]

2. My partner teaches for a Title 1 school.

They have laid off multiple teachers....especially those with some tenure near retirement age.
He buys all his own supplies...and often those for his kids.
He and I are assembling bags for the holiday season for all the 5th graders...with school supplies,gloves and hats..and some cute stuff.Yes,they are in dire straits,and looking at an even larger budget cut next year.