There are 524 school districts in Missouri.  Within the nation’s public school systems, 28-30% of students attend urban districts, 40-45% attend suburban districts, and the remaining 28-30% attend rural districts or in many cases, rural schools not within a district. There are several factors that place urban schools at risk for lower student achievement- socioeconomic status, increased LEP and Special Ed student populations, higher mobility rates, high drop-out rates, and significant discipline problems.

However, I will say, there are legislators and educators who completely disagree with the notion of assessing district needs before distributing funds. I’m not sure why some believe that no matter what the funding is, “districts need to make the dollar stretch”…

Do you know your district’s per-pupil expenditure?  I challenge you to seek some answers, then, contact a colleague in a neighboring district to “compare notes.” If the numbers seem imbalanced, challenge those responsible for the allocation within your community.

Thoughts?  I’d love to hear what you find!

Paula Knight is Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction K-12, for the St. Louis Public Schools.

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