Southern Students Deserve Fair School Funding

Our imperative to rally Southerners for Fair School Funding is urgent: improving student access to high-quality education opportunities across the South, particularly for students of color, students experiencing poverty, and rural students has the potential to propel the region forward and create crucial generational change. Southern progress is national progress.

To achieve fairer school funding in the South,

we believe that state funding systems should:

Fund Students Adequately

Every student deserves a strong foundation, and that begins with making sure state funding covers the real costs of a high-quality education. For each student, states must invest a meaningful amount that reflects what it actually takes for students to meet high expectations and succeed in school and life. All districts should receive the same base level of funding per student, so every school has what it needs to support teaching and learning.

Fund Student Needs Equitably

Every student is different, and funding should reflect that. States must provide extra resources for students who face barriers to learning, including students from low-income backgrounds, English Learners, and students with disabilities. The most effective way to do that is to use a student-based funding formula, where additional funds — known as “weights” — are provided based on students’ unique needs. These weights should be generous enough to make a real difference, and flexible enough to cover the range of student needs. Students who qualify for multiple weights should receive funding for each of them because their individual needs don’t cancel each other out.

Fund Districts Appropriately

Fund districts appropriately by providing more support to schools in high-poverty and rural areas, where local tax revenue is often low and student needs are high. These districts face higher costs and have fewer resources, yet often receive less funding. To address these gaps, states should adjust how they distribute funds based on what a district can raise locally. This is crucial to ensure all communities — no matter their wealth or size — can give students a fair shot.

Fund Students Transparently and Effectively

Communities deserve to know how school funding works — and whether it’s working. States should provide clear, accessible explanations of how education dollars are allocated, and report regularly on where the money goes and how it’s used, especially money meant for high-need student groups. Families and communities deserve easy-to-understand information and real opportunities to weigh in. Local leaders should have the flexibility to meet student needs, but transparency builds trust and ensures funding makes a real impact.

Fund Public Schools Exclusively

Public dollars belong in public schools. Taxpayer money should be used to strengthen and support public education, not diverted to private schools or other systems that aren’t accountable to the public. Vouchers often benefit wealthier families and drain resources from the public schools most students rely on. States should invest in real solutions that strengthen public education and ensure every student has a fair shot at success.

We know that more funding makes a difference for all students — but it matters most for those facing the greatest barriers. A recent national study found that even a 10% increase in per-student spending each year throughout a child’s education improved academic outcomes across the board. The gains were even greater for students from low-income backgrounds, who saw higher test scores and graduation rates. And the benefits didn’t stop at the classroom door: increased investment helped students earn more as adults and achieve greater economic mobility.

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