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Slow Progress: School Finance Reforms and Racial Disparities in Funding

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Title: Slow Progress: School Finance Reforms and Racial Disparities in Funding
Language: English
Authors: Emily Rauscher (ORCID 0000-0002-5384-4667), Jeremy E. Fiel (ORCID 0000-0002-0066-7601)
Source: Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 2026 48(2):677-702.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 26
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS)
Contract Number: P2CHD041020
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Educational Finance, Disproportionate Representation, Race, Educational Equity (Finance), Ethnicity, Finance Reform, School Districts, Public Schools, Elementary Secondary Education, School Funds, Income, School Desegregation, State Aid, Expenditure per Student
DOI: 10.3102/01623737251362855
ISSN: 0162-3737
1935-1062
Abstract: School funding has become more economically progressive but remains unequal by race/ethnicity. As desegregation efforts decline, school finance reforms (SFRs) are increasingly important for addressing racial/ethnic funding disparities, but their implications are unclear. We build on existing work by estimating SFR effects on funding by income, race, and ethnicity, extending analysis through 2022, using recently developed difference-in-differences models to address variation in SFR timing, and examining additional and recent SFRs. We find that SFRs increased funding equality by income but at best had only modest benefits for equality by race/ethnicity. SFRs were more effective at reducing racial funding inequality in states with low initial inequality and low race-by-income segregation. Results highlight limitations of class-based state reforms to address racial/ethnic disparities.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505840
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Slow Progress: School Finance Reforms and Racial Disparities in Funding
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Emily+Rauscher%22">Emily Rauscher</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5384-4667">0000-0002-5384-4667</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jeremy+E%2E+Fiel%22">Jeremy E. Fiel</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0066-7601">0000-0002-0066-7601</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Evaluation+and+Policy+Analysis%22"><i>Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis</i></searchLink>. 2026 48(2):677-702.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: 26
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  Data: National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS)
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  Data: 10.3102/01623737251362855
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  Data: 0162-3737<br />1935-1062
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: School funding has become more economically progressive but remains unequal by race/ethnicity. As desegregation efforts decline, school finance reforms (SFRs) are increasingly important for addressing racial/ethnic funding disparities, but their implications are unclear. We build on existing work by estimating SFR effects on funding by income, race, and ethnicity, extending analysis through 2022, using recently developed difference-in-differences models to address variation in SFR timing, and examining additional and recent SFRs. We find that SFRs increased funding equality by income but at best had only modest benefits for equality by race/ethnicity. SFRs were more effective at reducing racial funding inequality in states with low initial inequality and low race-by-income segregation. Results highlight limitations of class-based state reforms to address racial/ethnic disparities.
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  Data: EJ1505840
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        Value: 10.3102/01623737251362855
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 26
        StartPage: 677
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Educational Finance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Disproportionate Representation
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      – SubjectFull: Race
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Equity (Finance)
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      – SubjectFull: Ethnicity
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      – SubjectFull: Finance Reform
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      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Funds
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      – SubjectFull: Income
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      – SubjectFull: School Desegregation
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      – SubjectFull: State Aid
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      – SubjectFull: Expenditure per Student
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      – TitleFull: Slow Progress: School Finance Reforms and Racial Disparities in Funding
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