It’s no secret it’s been a tough ride for most school districts especially in the Golden State with more than half of teachers reporting significant learning loss during the pandemic but poorer districts disproportionately impacted.

A new report on the Most and Least Equitable School Districts in California reveals where school funding is distributed most fairly, and the equitability of each school district in California is based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.

Most & Least Equitable School Districts in California

Most Equitable Least Equitable
1. Chino Unified School District 913. Sausalito Marin City School District
2. Rio Elementary School District 914. Ross Elementary School District
3. Two Rock Union School District 915. Bolinas-Stinson Union School District
4. Graves Elementary School District 916. Panoche Elementary School District
5. San Lorenzo Unified School District 917. Hillsborough City Elementary School District
6. Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District 918. Portola Valley Elementary School District
7. Mulberry Elementary School District 919. Woodside Elementary School District
8. Templeton Unified School District 920. Spencer Valley Elementary School District
9. Franklin-McKinley Elementary School District 921. Maple Creek School District
10. Pajaro Valley Unified School District 922. Lincoln Elementary School District

More Info

There are some long-term benefits of making sure all school districts have equitable funding, according to one analyst.

“If we make sure that every school district has equitable funding, students in less affluent communities will have a level playing field with students in wealthy districts. As a result, their graduation rates will increase, as will their likelihood to pursue higher education and earn larger incomes,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “College graduates have $524 – $1,112 higher median weekly earnings than people with a high school diploma and no college experience, depending on the degree.”

So, what can people do to support underprivileged school districts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic?

“To support underprivileged school districts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we should make sure that all schools have the resources they need to provide a robust education in the coming year. The pandemic has caused a great amount of learning loss for students, with some months behind where they should be in a normal year,” Gonzalez added. “No matter how affluent a school’s community is, it should have enough funding for an effective catch-up year, including tutoring resources for students who have fallen behind.”

For more information about the report click here.

Source: WalletHub