Blueprint Phase-In Is Making School Funding More Equitable, but Leaves Room for Improvement

School funding equity score by school-age poverty rate and student racial/ethnic composition, FY 2019 and FY 2024.

Equity scores indicate the relationship between student characteristics and need-based funding adequacy. Negative scores and downward slopes indicate inequitable funding.

Statistically significant estimates are noted in the left column. Nonsignificant estimates are shown in gray. Nonsignificance can indicate a neutral distribution/no change or may reflect an imprecise estimate.

Equity scores represent the enrollment-weighted elasticity of need-adjusted state and local funding per pupil with respect to each characteristic. For example, in FY 2019, on average a 10% increase in the school-age poverty rate (e.g., from 20% to 22%) was associated with a 2.2% reduction in need-adjusted funding – an inequitable outcome.

Need adjustment is based on Blueprint formula weights, plus an estimate of phased-in concentration of poverty funding based on quadratic free- and reduced-price meals eligibility. Details are available on request.

Data limitations:
• Because poverty data are available only through calendar year 2021, this analysis uses a three-year lag.
• Because race/ethnicity data are available only through FY 2022, this analysis uses a two-year lag.
• Small population sizes and privacy-related data repression prevent estimates for other racial/ethnic groups. As of FY 2022, about 2,350 American Indian/Alaska Native students and 1,300 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students attended school in Maryland.