Special Report
Education Funding

Inside School Finance: A Special Report

June 04, 2019 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Welcome to Quality Counts 2019: School Finance, the second installment of Education Week’s annual evaluation of the nation’s K-12 school system.

The first installment, January’s Quality Counts 2019: Chance for Success, dealt with socioeconomic as well as educational factors that affect the prospects of positive outcomes over a person’s lifetime. The third and final piece of this year’s Quality Counts package, coming in September, will offer comprehensive A-F grades and separate rankings for the nation and the states in three categories based on a wide range of indicators, from preschool access and student achievement to parental income and educational attainment.

This second report in the series focuses on an issue of immediate practical concern to every school leader, policymaker, parent, and member of the public: money—how much there is for schools, how it’s distributed, and taxpayers’ complex views about the way it’s spent and what they get for it.

The Education Week Research Center handles the first part of that inquiry, bringing its expertise to bear on the latest federal data on K-12 spending nationally and how each state is doing in raising and distributing those funds. Education Week school finance reporter Daarel Burnette II tackles the second piece. In a pair of articles, he examines the heated debate over how much money actually matters in school quality, as well as the public’s conflicted attitude toward higher funding amid concerns about taxes and misspending.

The package also takes a look at data challenges that researchers at Education Week and elsewhere face in putting together a 360-degree portrait of public school finance—and offers a “wish list” of elusive data that could help bring this picture into sharper focus.

For more detail on how each state performs on Quality Counts’ multifaceted school finance evaluation, be sure to check out the research center’s State Highlights Reports. And register for a free webinar June 11 at 2 p.m. Eastern, featuring guests from the Education Week newsroom and research center who will further unpack the report’s findings.

—The Editors

Related Tags:

In March 2024, Education Week announced the end of the Quality Counts report after 25 years of serving as a comprehensive K-12 education scorecard. In response to new challenges and a shifting landscape, we are refocusing our efforts on research and analysis to better serve the K-12 community. For more information, please go here for the full context or learn more about the EdWeek Research Center.

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
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus
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
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

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

Education Funding Dozens of Head Start Programs Still Aren't Receiving Promised Federal Funds
Some providers of pre-K and child care have waited more than a week for federal reimbursements that typically arrive in 24 hours.
11 min read
Two 5 year old children sitting at a table in preschool playing with colorful toys. The boy is connecting flexible tubes, and his friend, a girl, is wearing a crown made of tubes her head.
E+/Getty
Education Funding Trump Spending Freeze Hits Roadblocks: How Schools Are Coping With Chaos
The Trump administration appeared to halt the planned funding freeze, but district leaders remain cautious.
6 min read
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
Al Drago/AP
Education Funding Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze Was Blocked. But Confusion Among Schools Remains
The order sent school districts and others scrambling to determine which federal funds for schools could be stopped.
9 min read
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters at the White House, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. She spoke about a pause in federal funding the Trump administration ordered this week as it reviews grants and programs to determine whether they violate executive orders cracking down on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, as well as "gender ideology."
Alex Brandon/AP
Education Funding These High Schoolers Are Suing for Better Schools. Can They Win?
A new lawsuit joins others currently challenging states to follow constitutional requirements for public education.
8 min read
school funding lawsuits 836865720
z_wei/iStock/Getty Images Plus