School budgets are in big trouble, especially in high-poverty areas. Here's why - and what could help

PORTLAND, ME - MARCH 6: Joseph Miller, a custodian at Ocean Avenue Elementary School, uses a disinfectant-soaked towel to clean a chair and other "touch areas" throughout a classroom. (Staff photo by Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

Keep track of everything that’s happening in schools during the COVID-19 outbreak. Subscribe to our National newsletter for all of the information you need, in one place.

When the last recession hit school budgets about a decade ago, it didn’t hit them equally.

Affluent school districts saw their state funding drop by more than $500 per student after the downturn. High-poverty districts in the same state lost much more: over $1,500 per student in state funds.

Now, the coronavirus has brought much of the American economy to a halt. Another recession is possible, even likely. And the poorest school districts, which are particularly reliant on state funds, may once again bear the brunt of the budget crunch.

https://chalkbeat.org/posts/us/2020/04/07/coronavirus-school-funding-great-recession-lessons-equity/