The Complex Issue of Public School Funding

Ever since the beginning of the United States, the founding fathers and citizens have emphasized the importance on the education of its people, child or adult. Although education exists in this country both publicly and privately, the public school systems have become a powerful resource in many political social issues in this country. Recently, however, many debates have sprung up over issues that deal with the process of funding public education, including: Who is ultimately responsible for funding? How much funding should local, state, and federal governments contribute? How should funds be distributed? Questions such as these have been raised in the United States because of the many problems with education that are prevalent today despite funding. One of the biggest problems is inequality in education powered by property tax values. Numerous research data has shown how the unequal effects of funding from local property taxes has had on the level of education available in the same school districts. This essay will discuss if there are more fair methods to funding public schools than what is presently the norm through local property taxation and also talk about the effects that this kind of funding has on the standard of education that students receive. Each state of the United States manages its own school districts, which includes the administration of funds that pays for these school districts’ costs, with comparatively little interference from the federal government. What many people may not know is that citizens are not guaranteed the right to education in the United States Constitution, therefore, it is not something the federal government considers its fundamental responsibility. Hence, the question of funding public education, or lack thereof, falls on the state governments to attempt to answer. States