Facing the Future: Financing Public Schools

An extensive six-year study concludes that K-12 school finance systems are burdened by rules and narrow policies that hold local officials accountable for compliance but not results. The study’s final report, “Facing the Future: Financing Productive Schools,” published by the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington, recommends an action plan for overhauling state and local school finance systems to devolve decision-making, concentrate funds on low-income students, encourage innovation and continuous improvement, and base accountability on performance.

On December 1, the Metropolitan Policy Program and the Brown Center on Education Policy co-hosted a discussion on this new report with two of its authors, Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Paul Hill and University of Washington Research Associate Professor Marguerite Roza. Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Robert Gordon, Urban Institute’s Jane Hannaway, and the Chartwell Education Group’s Managing Director Susan Sclafani provided remarks. Incoming Brown Center Director and Senior Fellow Russ Whitehurst moderated the discussion and Metro Program Research Director Alan Berube delivered the introductory remarks.

After the program, the panelists took audience questions.