NJPP: The Consequences of School Underfunding
The Consequences of School Underfunding
For Immediate Release
July 7, 2021 – New Jersey students in underfunded schools have access to fewer teachers and certified support staff than students in better-funded districts, according to a new report by New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP). Teachers in severely underfunded schools are also less experienced and less likely to hold an advanced degree.
“Underfunded schools simply can’t offer their students the same education that well funded schools can,” said Mark Weber, Ph.D., report author and Special Analyst for Education Policy at NJPP. “Students in underfunded schools don’t get as many opportunities in the arts or physical education, their teachers are less experienced, and they have less access to nurses and other support staff. These differences may not always show up in things like test scores, but they are still critically important.”
The report, The Consequences of School Underfunding, finds that students in highly funded schools enjoy richer curricular offerings — and more experienced teachers — than students in inadequately funded schools. The report makes clear that the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) is still far from equalizing educational opportunities across the state, as underfunded districts enroll disproportionately more Black and Hispanic/Latinx students.
“All of New Jersey’s students have a right to a rich, broad curriculum with well-educated and experienced teachers,” Weber added. “We must fix our school funding systems so all of New Jersey’s children receive the education they deserve.”
The report finds that severely underfunded K-12 districts only employ an average of 9.4 staff members per 100 students, as opposed to 12.9 staff per 100 students in highly funded districts. In severely underfunded K-12 districts, there is one arts teacher for every 495 students and one music teacher per 708 students; in highly funded districts, there is one arts teacher for every 320 students and one music teacher for every 225 students. The same pattern holds true for school nurses, support staff, and teachers for foreign languages, social studies, and science.
On average, a teacher in a highly funded K-8 district will have over three years more experience than a teacher in a severely underfunded district. Teachers in highly funded K-12 districts have over two years more experience, on average, than those in severely underfunded districts.
The report recommends recalibrating SFRA to address these disparities so all children have access to highly educated and experienced teachers.
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New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) is a nonpartisan think tank that drives policy change to advance economic, social, and racial justice through evidence-based, independent research, analysis, and advocacy.
