Pandemic Recovery, Missing Students and Funding for Public Schools
Spring 2021: Policy Brief
Across the country, millions of students that were expected to enroll in school last Fall did not show up. Public schools are searching for these “missing students” and working to get them back to school, either virtually or brick and mortar. The enrollment drop stands to impact more than just the missing students. Education funding follows the student, so enrollment drops could lead to funding losses that have lasting impacts on all public school students. While some families may choose other schooling options, traditional public schools are the only schools constitutionally required to accept any students in their county. Federal stimulus dollars are helping schools, but they can’t replace the ongoing support from state funding. In this brief, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund will discuss the funding implications of the pandemic for Florida students and make several recommendations to ensure equitable outcomes for students.
Diversity in our Public Schools
June 2016: White Paper
There is considerable evidence that greater socioeconomic and racial diversity in schools results in better academic and social outcomes for students. But here in our own community, we often find ourselves geographically separated by race and income level. While exploring Duval County school enrollment patterns, we found that African-American students are much more likely than students of any other race to attend schools that are not racially diverse.
