What does funding equity mean in a district, and how can governance promote it?

• A. Equal funding for all schools regardless of needs.
• B. Funding equity requires eliminating all targeted funding.
• C. Allocating resources to meet student needs regardless of location or wealth; governance uses targeted funding, data-driven decisions, and monitoring for disparities.
• D. Funding decisions based solely on enrollment.

Answer: (C)

Funding equity means allocating resources to meet student needs, not simply giving every school the same amount. It recognizes that some schools face greater challenges—poverty, higher numbers of English learners, students with disabilities—and directs funds to close those gaps. Governance promotes this through targeted funding streams, using data to identify disparities, and ongoing monitoring to ensure resources actually reduce inequities and improve outcomes. Unlike models that fund equally regardless of circumstances or rely only on enrollment, equity-focused funding adjusts support to where it will do the most good and holds stakeholders accountable for results.