New York ranks near bottom of states in new analysis of school funding disparities

Feb 17, 2018 | Press Release

new analysis by The Education Trust found that New York State has one of the most inequitable school funding systems in the nation, with districts serving large proportions of low-income students and students of color having on average fewer resources than other districts.

The state ranked third from the bottom when looking at the difference in per-pupil revenue between school districts that serve the most and fewest low-income students. The districts serving the most low-income students on average received 7 percent – or $1,601 – less in combined state and local funding than those serving the smallest proportion of low-income students.

That gap was even wider when accounting for the additional investments and supports needed to ensure academic opportunity for low-income students.

New York also fell toward the bottom of states when looking at per-pupil revenue in school districts that serve the most students of color, compared to those that serve the fewest. The districts serving the most students of color received 10 percent – or $2,369 less – than those with the fewest students of color.

“The level of school funding and how these resources are invested play a crucial role in student success, which is why it is so troubling that New York continues to rank at the bottom of states when it comes to equitable funding,” said Ian Rosenblum, Executive Director of The Education Trust–New York. “In this context, the upcoming state budget provides a key opportunity to simultaneously address two equity challenges: increasing investment in the school districts that need the most support, and ensuring that these resources reach the schools that enroll the largest share of low-income students and students of color.”