Dive Brief:

• The Erie School District in Pennsylvania finds itself stuck following a rejection from the state Department of Education of its financial recovery plan that asked for $31.8 million to avoid a final descent into insolvency.
• The Erie Times-News reports the district has closed three elementary schools and reduced its workforce by 21% in recent years and still faces a $10 million deficit for the 2017-18 academic year that may require further school closings if the state doesn’t step in.
• The district had hoped approval from the Department of Education could lead to a united front in requesting more money from the state legislature, but the department seemed reluctant to help one district when so many have financial troubles, even though Superintendent Jay Badams argues the extent of the problem in Erie is unmatched statewide.

Dive Insight:

School districts are charged with preparing students for college and career while also overcoming barriers presented by poverty, neighborhood violence and outside trauma which can limit student focus and capacity in class. Public schools most in need of additional funding to guarantee an adequate education are often the very ones most hamstrung by budget constraints.

In wealthier districts, parents can often be tapped through fundraising efforts and a well-endowed tax base can be convinced to pay more to fund local schools. Resource-poor districts simply do not have that luxury, and they have been hard-pressed to coax additional funding from state legislatures.