School Funding
Every child deserves access to well-resourced schools, regardless of their zip code.
The Funding Crisis
America's public schools face a persistent and growing funding crisis. The reliance on local property taxes to fund education creates vast inequities between wealthy and poor districts, ensuring that the children who need the most resources often receive the least.
$23B
Annual funding gap between wealthy and poor districts
$145B
Needed for school infrastructure repairs nationwide
300K
Teacher shortage across the United States
Property Tax Dependence
The fundamental problem with American school funding is its dependence on local property taxes. This system guarantees that schools in wealthy areas have abundant resources while schools in poor communities struggle to provide basic necessities. It's a system that perpetuates inequality across generations.
- •Larger class sizes that reduce individual attention for students
- •Outdated textbooks and lack of technology resources
- •Crumbling facilities with leaky roofs and broken heating systems
- •Elimination of art, music, and enrichment programs
- •Insufficient counselors, nurses, and support staff
- •Teachers forced to buy supplies out of their own pockets
Our Vision for Equitable Funding
Working Educators believes that every child deserves access to a well-funded public school. We advocate for funding systems that provide more resources to schools serving students with greater needs, not less.
Adequacy: Every school should have sufficient funding to provide a quality education.
Equity: Schools serving students with greater needs should receive more resources.
Transparency: Communities should understand how education dollars are spent.
Stability: Schools need predictable funding to plan effectively for students.