Districts serving poorer students have less to spend on education than those serving wealthier students
: Total per-student revenues by district poverty level, and revenue gaps relative to low-poverty districts, 2017–2018
| Total revenue | Revenue gap | |
|---|---|---|
| Low-poverty districts | $19,280 | |
| Medium-low poverty districts | $17,470 | $1,810 |
| Medium-high poverty districts | $16,660 | $2,620 |
| High-poverty districts | $16,570 | $2,710 |
: Total per-student expenditures by district poverty level, and spending gaps relative to low-poverty districts, 2017–2018
| Total expenditures | Expenditures gap | |
|---|---|---|
| Low-poverty districts | $15,910 | |
| Medium-low poverty districts | $14,410 | $1,500 |
| Medium-high poverty districts | $13,940 | $1,970 |
| High-poverty districts | $14,030 | $1,880 |
Notes: Amounts are in 2019–2020 dollars and rounded to the closest $10 and adjusted for each state’s cost of living. Low-poverty districts are districts whose poverty rate (for children ages 5 through 17) is in the bottom fourth of the poverty distribution; high-poverty districts are districts whose poverty rate is in the top fourth of the poverty distribution.
Extended notes: Sample includes districts serving elementary schools only, secondary schools only, or both; districts with nonmissing and nonzero numbers of students; and districts with nonmissing charter information. Amounts are in 2019–2020 dollars using the consumer price index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS CPI 2021) and rounded to the closest $10. Amounts are adjusted for each state’s cost of living using the historical Regional Price Parities (RPPs) from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA 2021). Low-poverty districts are districts whose poverty rate (for children ages 5 through 17) is in the bottom fourth of the poverty distribution; medium-low-poverty districts are districts whose poverty rate (for children ages 5 through 17) is in the second fourth of the poverty distribution; medium-high-poverty districts are districts whose poverty rate (for children ages 5 through 17) is in the third fourth of the poverty distribution; high-poverty districts are districts whose poverty rate is in the top fourth of the poverty distribution. Amounts are unweighted across districts.
Sources: Authors’ analysis of 2017–2018 Local Education Agency Finance Survey (F-33) microdata from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES-LEAFS 2021) and Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) data from the U.S. Census Bureau (Urban Institute 2021a).
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