The measure specifically took aim at the state's recapture plan, which redistributes funds from
property wealthy districts like HISD to property poor districts.
This off formula funding tends to distort the equalizing aspects of the school aid formula and give more money to
property wealthy districts and their taxpayers.
Not exact matches
He said the disparity between
districts is mostly due to the ability of
wealthier areas to raise more in
property taxes.
«It is likely that the Senate Republicans care more about protecting local issues like the
property tax rebate, and K - 12 funding in their
districts than a New York City tax on the
wealthy,» said another source close to UPK NYC.
It cites increases in teacher salaries, a shift in school funding from local
property taxes to state taxes, and a reduction in the disparities between poor and
wealthy districts as financing changes that were successful «even in the first year.»
Equity: Arkansas has a positive wealth - neutrality score, meaning that, on average,
property -
wealthy districts have slightly more revenue than poor
districts do.
The state's score is positive, meaning that, on average,
wealthy districts in the state have more revenue than do
property - poor
districts.
Nevada is one of only 10 states with negative wealth - neutrality scores, meaning that, on average,
property - poor
districts actually have more state and local revenue for education than
wealthy districts do.
Gov. Edward T. Schafer of North Dakota last week signed into law a school - finance measure that shifts some state funding from
property -
wealthy school
districts to those less able to raise money through
property taxes.
But Oklahoma is one of only 10 states with negative wealth - neutrality scores, meaning that, on average,
property - poor
districts actually have more state and local revenue for education than
wealthy districts do.
In Texas, for example, the most recent school - funding overhaul was financed largely by forcing
wealthy districts to raise their
property - tax rates and then distributing the proceeds among their poorer neighbors.
Utah is one of only 10 states that have negative wealth - neutrality scores, meaning that, on average, students in
property - poor
districts actually receive more funding per pupil than students living in
wealthy areas.
A Black student in a
district with below - average
property wealth (less than $ 6,363 per pupil) has an adequacy level of 61 %, but his peer in a
wealthier school
district is only a bit better at 69 %.
Texas lawmakers last week cleared a new school - finance plan that would allow
wealthy districts to keep locally generated funds once they exceeded a new state - mandated minimum rate for
property taxes.
Many of these revisions will help close the equity gap of over $ 1,000 per student between the
wealthiest and poorest school
districts that is inherent in Texas's continuing over-reliance on disparate
property tax values across the state, as noted in the chart below.
As shown below, despite taxing 11 cents less than their counterparts, the top 5 percent of
property -
wealthy school
districts in the state access over $ 1,100 more per WADA than the bottom 5 percent.
As noted in the chart below, the
wealthiest decile (10 percent) of
districts have
property values greater than $ 1 million per weighted student compared to the poorest decile.
The research seems to indicate, says Tuck, that if schools in the poorest, mostly white
districts are better resourced than even schools in the
wealthiest, high - minority
districts, there would seem to be factors beyond funding formulas and
district property taxes in play.
Variability in local resources occurs as
wealthier districts are able to collect higher per pupil revenues with lower revenue effort — essentially
property tax rates — due to higher taxable
property values.
The contemporary debates about equity and sharing of
property tax revenue often overlook the fact that
wealthy districts in most cases did not create their own wealth.
The
district owes the state more than $ 200 million — and possibly as much as $ 269 million — in «recapture» payments, money that
districts deemed «
property wealthy» have to share with other
districts
But because the money to build most schools came from
property taxes,
wealthier districts could more easily raise the substantial amount of funding needed to build and renovate school facilities.
Wealthy districts were able to spend more, thanks to surging
property tax receipts.
School
districts serving communities where
property is worth less simply can not generate the same level of revenue at the same tax rate as
wealthier communities.
The root of the current fight comes from failings in the current «revenue - sharing» requirement that shifts some
property tax revenues from
wealthy districts to their lower - income neighbors that are willing to tax at the same or greater tax rate.
Some
property -
wealthy districts are also gaming the system by purchasing things that are typically paid for with M&O revenue - such as furniture, buses and computers - with I&S revenue.
As explained by Andy Reschovsky, the Levy Credits are categorized by the state as school aid but in fact function as
property tax relief misdirected toward
wealthier districts and
property owners.