Thursday, March 08, 2012

Bill to resolve rural school districts' gripes about distribution of federal funds loses in committee

The "All Children are Equal Act," which would have changed the formula that determines most federal allotments to school districts, was defeated this week in the U.S. House Education Committee. The proposal would have lessened the Title I program's use of number weighting, which ends up diverting money from rural districts to urban districts regardless of poverty rates, Diette Courrege of Education Week reports.

Advocates like The Formula Fairness Campaign aren't giving up, Courrege reports. "This vote is a short-term defeat, and may or may not be the only time this Congress will address the number weighting issue this year. But clearly this issue has made the grade as a legitimate issue that both parties acknowledge must be addressed. In a less partisan atmosphere, it might have been this year," according to the group's Website. Ed Money Watch, the New America Foundation blog, found the Title I formula gives urban districts more funding per poor student than rural districts. (Read more)

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