Op-Ed from A+

More Money for Students Is a No-Brainer!

Jason Meadows, Advocacy & Partnerships Director, A+ Education Partnership

At A+ Education Partnership, we partner with educators, communities, and policymakers to expand access to high-quality education so every student can thrive. In April 2024, we launched the Every Child Alabama Coalition alongside more than 30 organizations and community leaders statewide to support this mission. The coalition advocates to ensure every child has access to a world-class education, regardless of circumstance.

For this to be attainable, school administrators and educators must have the necessary funding to meet the needs of the students in their school buildings. Unfortunately, Alabama’s current school funding formula, which has been in place for 30 years, does not address the needs of students or provide districts with the resources required to advance public education for all.

We know that poor academic outcomes limit opportunities for our students, communities, and workforce. These challenges are even more acute for students with more significant needs, like students who live in poverty, have disabilities, or are English learners. The time has come to address the upstream cause of Alabama’s overall state of education: school funding.

The Alabama Legislature has recognized the need for reform and established the Joint Legislative Study Commission on Modernizing K-12 School Education Funding. Over five meetings, the commission has explored pathways to modernize our outdated system. They examined our current Foundation Program formula, its inadequacies, and its inability to address each student’s unique needs. Some of their key takeaways:

• The current model is 30 years old and ranks 39th in the nation on per-pupil funding, which is $4,009 less than the national average per student.

• After adjusting for inflation, Alabama’s state funding decreased by $860 per student from 2008 to 2022.

• Our state is one of only six that funds schools based solely on student headcount rather than individual needs.

• The $5.3 billion K-12 budget only allocates 1.2% to students with the greatest needs, including those in poverty, with disabilities, or English learners, which equates to approximately $138 per student.

With the guidance of state and national experts, the commission explored other funding models and whether Alabama could afford to implement a change. They learned:

• 41 states have a student-weighted formula.

• We can afford to modernize. All districts will receive an increase. The Legislature can do this without a tax increase or a redistribution of funds from districts with more resources to those with less.

• The research shows that money matters. An additional $1,000 results in roughly 72 additional days of learning. Increased funding also increases test scores, graduation rates, college-going rates, years of education completed, and adult wages, as well as improved economic outcomes for the state.

• Mississippi transitioned its funding model in 2024 and Tennessee in 2022. Other states, like North Carolina, are actively considering modernizing their funding formulas.

What’s next? The commission plans to finalize its recommendations in the first days of the 2025 legislative session. Then, the Legislature will decide what pathway to take. We encourage our Legislature to make modernizing school funding a priority for this session. Our students cannot afford inaction.

More money for students is a no-brainer!

How can I learn more about school funding reform in Alabama?

Watch the Every Dollar Counts Learning Series, a 7-part learning series designed to help Alabamians understand how schools are funded and what we can do to improve the adequacy and equity in our funding formula so that our schools and students have access to the resources that they need to succeed. Visit everychildalabama.org to watch the Every Dollar Counts series.

About A+

A+ Education Partnership is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works both in the statehouse and the schoolhouse to support state leaders, educators, and students to improve student outcomes. In addition to our advocacy work, we have two programs, A+ College Ready and the Alabama Best Practice Center. Together, we can build an Alabama where every child receives a world-class education.

About ECA

Every Child Alabama is a coalition of organizations and individuals working to ensure every child across Alabama has access to a world-class education to reach their full potential. We share a unifying belief that when every child receives a transformative education, it strengthens communities, making them better places to live, work, and raise a family.

Bio

Jason Meadows is the Advocacy and Partnerships Director for A+ Education Partnership, where he is responsible for building a coalition to advance student-centered policy solutions in the state and A+’s policy priorities. Jason most recently served as the Director of Community Engagement at Woodlawn United, leading efforts to increase homeownership, economic mobility, and public safety. Jason formerly served as the Manager of Community Partners at Oliver Elementary School, organizing partnerships and providing wraparound services to improve academic outcomes. He is currently the president of the Birmingham Board of Education.