Changing the way schools are funded would help to close the
achievement gap between students who live in affluent
neighborhoods and those in high poverty areas, according to a
report released Tuesday by a congressionally-mandated education
committee. "There is disagreement about exactly how to change
the system, but there is complete agreement that achieving
equity and excellence requires sufficient resources that are
distributed based on student need and that are efficiently
used," says "For Each and Every Child," a report by the Equity
and Excellence Commission. A primary source of funding for
public schools is local property taxes. The problem: If the
school is in a high poverty area, the property taxes tend to be
low, and that means less money for the school, and less money to
pay teachers. "Whether a state uses property taxes or not is no
excuse for the responsibility a state has to deliver more
equitable financing," said Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, co-
chairman of the commission and a professor at Stanfo