Rethinking Education Funding and Priorities: The Federal, Local, and Assessment Gap in K-12 Public Schools

Federal Funding is Limited

The federal government plays a critical yet relatively limited role in funding K-12 public education in the United States. Currently, federal funding contributes only about 9% of the total budget for public schools. The remaining 91% is generated at the state and local levels, often through property taxes, creating vast disparities in resources depending on the wealth of the community. This structure leaves schools in underfunded areas struggling to provide adequate instruction, materials, and technology—further exacerbating the achievement gap between high- and low-income districts.

While the federal government has historically supported initiatives to improve equity—such as Title I funding for low-income schools or IDEA funding for students with disabilities—this 9% contribution cannot bridge the systemic inequities built into state and local funding models. As municipalities manage the lion’s share of education budgets, it is imperative that local governments take a hard look at how their resources are allocated to better meet the needs of all students.

Local Governments: The Key to Equitable Spending

Local municipalities often focus their school budgets on maintaining facilities, hiring teachers, and covering transportation and administrative costs. While these expenditures are essential, local leaders must evaluate whether their spending strategies are truly inclusive of initiatives that drive student achievement for all learners, especially in economically disadvantaged communities.

One overlooked yet critical area for investment is more accurate and actionable assessment tools. Traditional methods of standardized testing have long dominated how schools measure student performance, but they often fail to provide the nuanced data teachers and administrators need to make informed decisions. By reallocating resources to support innovative assessment strategies, municipalities can help schools identify gaps in student learning and implement targeted interventions.

The Case for Accurate Assessment

Accurate assessments that provide real-time, actionable insights are game-changers for education. These tools do not merely measure whether students are passing or failing—they uncover how students learn, where they struggle, and what specific supports are needed to help them succeed. Here’s why investing in better assessments is crucial:

1. Empowering Teachers: Teachers armed with detailed data can tailor instruction to meet individual student needs. This is especially important for addressing learning gaps in students who may be left behind in a one-size-fits-all approach.
2. Informed Decision-Making: School administrators and boards can use assessment data to allocate resources more effectively, such as identifying which programs are working and which need adjustment or additional funding.
3. Accountability Without Standardized Overreach: Accurate assessments provide a way to track student progress without relying solely on high-stakes standardized tests, which often fail to reflect the breadth of student learning.
4. Building Equity: Real-time insights help educators address the needs of underserved populations, such as English language learners or students with disabilities, by implementing targeted strategies that ensure these students have access to the support they need.

A Call to Action for Local School Boards

Local school boards have the power to champion this shift toward innovative assessment practices. By prioritizing funding for versatile, technology-driven assessment tools, boards can help their districts move beyond outdated testing models and embrace a more dynamic approach to student evaluation. This not only supports teachers in their instructional roles but also provides a clear roadmap for achieving measurable gains in student performance.

Federal and Local Collaboration

While the federal government’s contribution may seem small, programs like ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds and grants tied to innovation and equity offer opportunities for districts to secure supplemental funding. However, the real responsibility lies with local municipalities to refine their budgets and make the tough choices that prioritize student outcomes over less impactful expenditures.

For example, rather than investing solely in aesthetic upgrades to school buildings or non-essential administrative expenses, local leaders should direct resources toward tools and training that support assessment-driven teaching and learning. This could include:

• Purchasing adaptive learning platforms that track student progress in real-time.
• Providing professional development for teachers to interpret and act on assessment data effectively.
• Expanding data-sharing systems so that teachers, schools, and parents can collaborate to meet students’ needs.

A Vision for the Future

To ensure every child has access to a quality education, we must rethink how we fund and manage our schools. The federal government’s 9% contribution is unlikely to change dramatically, but local municipalities have the power to fill the gaps by investing in tools that directly impact learning outcomes. Accurate assessments are not just a measurement tool—they are the foundation for creating inclusive, equitable, and effective schools.

By shifting the focus to data-driven decisions and aligning spending with strategies that promote achievement for all, schools can not only meet students where they are but also empower them to grow beyond expectations. The time to refine these priorities is now. Let’s create a system where every dollar spent is a step toward a brighter future for all students.