New report says education funding is in crisis

The U.S. Center for Public Education has released a new report titled Cutting to the Bone: How the Economic Crisis Affects Schools, which focuses on the dire funding situation for the nation's K-12 schools. The report notes that while education is usually the last area to face budget cuts, most school districts are dealing with cuts in both state and local funding. Many schools are also facing cost increases, which are forcing them to decide between balanced budgets and student needs.  

"The current system of school funding isn't working for our students," said Jim Hull, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center. "With no fat to cut, schools are forced to cut effective educational programs that directly impact student achievement. Such cuts will not only impair student achievement but also impede our economic competitiveness for years to come. For schools to succeed in the long run, school boards, other policymakers, and the public need to reexamine how public education is funded at the local, state, and federal levels."

 
 

The report says that although the recession is technically over, district budgets are not expected to regain their pre-recession (2008) funding levels until late in the decade. Read the full report at The Center for Public Education website.