NEPC Review: 'Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation' (New America, September 2025)
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| Title: | NEPC Review: 'Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation' (New America, September 2025) |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Christopher Cleveland, Joshua Almes, University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC) |
| Source: | National Education Policy Center. 2026. |
| Availability: | National Education Policy Center. School of Education 249 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Tel: 303-735-5290; e-mail: nepc@colorado.edu; Web site: http://nepc.colorado.edu |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice |
| Document Type: | Reports - Evaluative Opinion Papers |
| Descriptors: | School Districts, School District Reorganization, Educational Finance, Educational Equity (Finance), Desegregation Methods, Taxes, Equal Education, Models |
| Abstract: | A New America report argues that states should improve educational equity by redrawing school district boundaries to reduce within-state fiscal and demographic disparities. The report details three redistricting methods: (1) a "blank-slate" approach that creates new districts from Census tracts, (2) a county-aligned approach that uses county boundaries as district boundaries, and (3) targeted mergers of existing districts. It models each of these approaches and compares them to current district maps. Overall, the report finds that across districts, all three hypothetical models increase the equality of access to local property tax revenue, and all three improve racial and economic integration. Blank-slate redistricting leads to the most significant improvements. Although this review identifies some methodological weaknesses, the report still offers policymakers a framework for a preliminary discussion of how district boundaries shape inequities and, therefore, how redistricting may be a meaningful policy tool for alleviating them. More research and analysis, notably (a) including additional factors that complicate redistricting and (b) comparing redistricting with other approaches to reducing inequities, would strengthen the conversation this report initiates. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED681176 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED681176 Name: ERIC Full Text Category: fullText Text: Full Text from ERIC |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: ED681176 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Report PubTypeId: report PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: NEPC Review: 'Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation' (New America, September 2025) – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christopher+Cleveland%22">Christopher Cleveland</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Joshua+Almes%22">Joshua Almes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22University+of+Colorado+at+Boulder%2C+National+Education+Policy+Center+%28NEPC%29%22">University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC)</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22National+Education+Policy+Center%22"><i>National Education Policy Center</i></searchLink>. 2026. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: National Education Policy Center. School of Education 249 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Tel: 303-735-5290; e-mail: nepc@colorado.edu; Web site: http://nepc.colorado.edu – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 13 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: SourceSuprt Label: Sponsoring Agency Group: SrcSuprt Data: Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Reports - Evaluative<br />Opinion Papers – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+District+Reorganization%22">School District Reorganization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Finance%22">Educational Finance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Equity+%28Finance%29%22">Educational Equity (Finance)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Desegregation+Methods%22">Desegregation Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Taxes%22">Taxes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Models%22">Models</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: A New America report argues that states should improve educational equity by redrawing school district boundaries to reduce within-state fiscal and demographic disparities. The report details three redistricting methods: (1) a "blank-slate" approach that creates new districts from Census tracts, (2) a county-aligned approach that uses county boundaries as district boundaries, and (3) targeted mergers of existing districts. It models each of these approaches and compares them to current district maps. Overall, the report finds that across districts, all three hypothetical models increase the equality of access to local property tax revenue, and all three improve racial and economic integration. Blank-slate redistricting leads to the most significant improvements. Although this review identifies some methodological weaknesses, the report still offers policymakers a framework for a preliminary discussion of how district boundaries shape inequities and, therefore, how redistricting may be a meaningful policy tool for alleviating them. More research and analysis, notably (a) including additional factors that complicate redistricting and (b) comparing redistricting with other approaches to reducing inequities, would strengthen the conversation this report initiates. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: ED681176 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED681176 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 13 Subjects: – SubjectFull: School Districts Type: general – SubjectFull: School District Reorganization Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Finance Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Equity (Finance) Type: general – SubjectFull: Desegregation Methods Type: general – SubjectFull: Taxes Type: general – SubjectFull: Equal Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Models Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: NEPC Review: 'Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation' (New America, September 2025) Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC) – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Christopher Cleveland – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Joshua Almes IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2026 Titles: – TitleFull: National Education Policy Center Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
