With low-income school districts underfunded by around $6,700 per pupil, WalletHub today released its report on the Most and Least Equitable School Districts in Arizona. To find out where school funding is distributed most fairly, WalletHub scored the equitability of each school district in Arizona based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.
LEARN MORE: Arizona has 3 of the 5 best charter schools in the U.S.
Alongside this report, WalletHub also released rankings for the States with the Most and Least Equitable School Districts, along with accompanying videos and audio files. Arizona ranked as the 2nd least equitable overall.
Most & Least Equitable School Districts in Arizona
Most Equitable
1. Paloma School District (4255)
2. Wickenburg Unified District (4236)
3. Fort Thomas Unified District (4221)
4. Maricopa Unified School District (4441)
5. Marana Unified District (4404)
6. Saddle Mountain Unified School District (4254)
7. Antelope Union High School District (4506)
8. Madison Elementary District (4270)
9. Littleton Elementary District (4278)
10. Red Rock Elementary District (4447)
Least Equitable
197. Bowie Unified District (4171)
198. Vernon Elementary District (4162)
199. Maine Consolidated School District (4199)
200. Pine Strawberry Elementary District (4214)
201. Sentinel Elementary District (4250)
202. Ash Creek Elementary District (4187)
203. Crown King Elementary District (4483)
204. Owens School District No. 6 (4373)
205. Apache Elementary District (4178)
206. Hillside Elementary District (4482)
WalletHub Q&A
What are the long-term benefits of making sure all school districts have equitable funding?
“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 $154 – $1,115 higher median weekly earnings than people with a high school diploma and no college experience, depending on the degree.”
What can we do to support underprivileged school districts during this difficult economic period?
“To support underprivileged school districts during this difficult economic period, we should make sure that all schools have the resources they need to provide a robust education in the coming year. Students have experienced a large amount of learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we cannot expect all parents to be able to afford resources to help their children catch up. That’s especially true during this period of high inflation,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub Analyst. “All schools should have enough funding for an effective catch-up year, including tutoring resources for students who have fallen behind. We should also make sure that all students are able to eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch if their parents are unable to provide them due to rising food costs.”
