Needy Ward 6 Students Received Unequal School Funding
Eastern High School has more at-risk students than any other public school in Ward 6, but schools with less need received more per-student funding.
A new interactive graphic shows the designated at-risk funds provided to every D.C. public school in 2014, compared with the number of students eligible to benefit from the money.
The D.C. Council voted in Dec. 2013 to provide $2,097 in extra funding for every student who is receiving welfare or food stamps, homeless, in foster care or is at least a year behind in high school. But because of a time crunch in the budget process, the funds were used to support programs D.C. Public Schools said were aligned with the needs of at-risk students, as Greater Greater Washington reported.
Here are some of the highlights of the data mapped by the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute and the volunteer “civic hackers” group Code for D.C.:
- Eastern High School (1700 E. Capitol St. NE) received $1,145 for each of its 609 at-risk students, who made up 60 percent of total enrollment. Uses of the funds included special education teachers and middle grade field trips and activities.
- Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan (215 G St. NE) received $19,297 for each of its 33 at-risk students, who made up 10 percent of total enrollment. Uses of the funds included extended day funds, a guidance counselor, an English teacher and a math teacher.
- Eliot-Hine Middle School (1830 Constitution Ave. NE) received $4,636 for each of its 191 at-risk students, who made up 71 percent of total enrollment. Uses of the funds included an “assistant principal for intervention,” extended day funds, a science teacher and a health/physical education teacher.
- Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School (659 G St. NE) received just $269 for each of its 125 at-risk students, who made up 37 percent of total enrollment. The funds were used on a student satisfaction program.
The full interactive graphic can be explored here.
Image via D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute/Code for D.C.
