Equity Matters
Communities have varying school funding levels.[] Children from low-income families often attended underfunded schools. When families with different incomes live in separate areas, it can make this problem even worse.[] Sometimes, Black families, even if they have the same income as white families, end up in areas with poorer schools.[] In Massachusetts, public schools get money from both local property taxes and the state government. In places where houses aren’t worth as much and taxes
are lower, schools might not get as much money. This means they might not have enough resources for students who need extra help. For example, like those learning English or those with an Individualized Education Program.
[VED32] Biddle, Bruce & Berliner, David. (2002). What Research Says about Unequal Funding for Schools in America. In Pursuit of Better Schools: What Research Says. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234729332_What_Research_Says_about_Unequal_Funding_for_Schools_in_America_In_Pursuit_of_Better_Schools_What_Research_Says
[VED33] Chung, E. K., Siegel, B. S., Garg, A., Conroy, K., Gross, R. S., Long, D. A., Lewis, G., Osman, C. J., Jo Messito, M., Wade, R., Shonna Yin, H., Cox, J., & Fierman, A. H. (2016). Screening for social determinants of health among children and families living in poverty: A guide for clinicians. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 46(5), 135–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cppeds.2016.02.004
[VED34] Owens, A. (2017). Income segregation between school districts and inequality in students’ achievement. Sociology of Education, 91(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038040717741180