In 2014, the U.S. ranked at the bottom of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s countries for graduation rates. This is a huge concern our country faces: American youth do not receive the educational opportunities that they need and deserve to be able to compete in today’s global society.
In some areas, schools are unable to provide for their students because they lack the proper resources. In rural areas, students are less likely to do well on End-of-Course (EOC) exams and have lower graduation rates than other areas. Local school districts base their funding on property tax (local government source of revenue), formula assistance (state source of revenue), and a special education grant (federal government source of revenue). It is not fair to the students and faculty that attend schools with minimal funding because it reduces their chance of success.
Think about how some schools are able to provide iPads, updated computers, and SmartBoards to all their classes in comparison with schools that use outdated textbooks and do not have enough resources to provide for the teachers and classes. Some schools have classes like digital media or astronomy, while others do not. This all boils down to the funding and resources available.
Rural school districts are lower performing academically in comparison to their urban and suburban counterparts. However, rural school districts have greater levels of parental and community involvement and lower student-teacher ratios. The big issue is that rural school districts are not getting the fair amount of funds, which affects the poor and minority students in those areas.
Rural school districts generally have a smaller amount of financial resources and, therefore, are unable to meet typical necessities. such as purchasing new textbooks or funding bus transportation. There are also new challenges, such as providing services to the increasing number of English Language Learners.
With a limited budget, there is a difficulty in teacher recruitment and development, and poorly funded school districts are unable to meet the expectation of other districts. For example, they are unable to match the salaries and development opportunities offered in other areas which reduces the number of advanced degree teachers and forces teachers to look to other areas in order to be able to provide for their own families.
In my opinion, students are able to retain more information when they are in a better environment and have access to the necessary educational resources. Schools that do not have sufficient materials show lower test scores and less student participation. Also, teachers are able to create more inclusive lessons when provided with the materials and equipment to teach.
Unequal funding to school districts is a social problem that should be our top priority. The government has tried to solve this problem by creating multiple federal policies; however, school districts are still suffering from unequal funding.
Schools that are capable of providing a respectable learning environment will be able to get kids to value their future through becoming better learners. With equal funding and resources, more school districts will have a fair chance at providing students and teachers with the best opportunities for success.
