The comparability loophole

A new report from the Center for American Progress finds that nationally, the "comparability loophole" in the ESEA allows 4.5 million low-income students to attend inequitably funded Title I schools. These schools receive $1,200 less per student, and $668,900 less overall annually, a disparity equal to millions at the state level. The ESEA requires districts provide "comparable" educational services in high-poverty and low-poverty schools as a condition of receiving Title I dollars. Under current law, districts compute comparability using average teacher salaries or teacher-to-student ratios over actual expenditure on teacher salaries. Since teachers with greater experience earn higher salaries and generally teach in lower-poverty schools, lower-poverty schools receive greater resources. If the loophole were closed, high-poverty schools would receive $8.5 billion in new funds each year, 1.5 percent of total state and local revenues, which would have been approximately $500 billion in 2011-12. To ensure true funding parity, the report recommends Congress require that districts base comparability on actual expenditures, including actual salaries. Districts should demonstrate comparability by showing Title I schools receive funding at least equal to the average of district non-Title I schools. Districts serving only Title I schools should show that higher-poverty schools receive no less than the average of state and local funds. Under the current policy, districts can spend less of state and local dollars on schools with the highest needs. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

Published by LEAP

Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.