Education Inequalities Funding inequities have been a problem from the past to the present, especially in low-income communities. In fact, students in urban areas with less funding have low attendance, lower scores on standardized tests, and a low graduation rate. Also subject to outdated textbooks, old, dilapidated buildings, students in urban centers must compete with their suburban and affluent counterparts. This is why funding inequities must end and more money should be directed to these communities from: federal, state and local. governments. Frank Johnson, writer for the National Center for Education Statics, “Disparities in Public School Spending.” According to a 1995 report, public education spending per student is higher in the nation's smallest districts, while students receive a fully adjusted average spending of $4,862 versus $4,216 in the largest district's 10,000-students and above. (Johnson 4) Since 1995, enrollment in the urban public school system has doubled to 62% in the 2010-2011 school year. However, they received less money. Local governments rely on property tax as a source of revenue to pay for schooling. However, people in urban areas pay higher taxes than suburban and affluent communities; states, on the other hand, rely on average daily attendance (ADA), which calculates state aid to school districts, tend to discriminate against urban school districts with high absenteeism rates. rates automatically and excludes 15% student aid. Therefore, in many urban areas, the percentage of state funding remains significantly lower than 50% among the entities to which the federal government allocates the least amount of funding. Residents in these areas who are under education can add a tax levy to help support their education according to state and local guidelines. This is why it is essential to eliminate funding inequities, all students deserve a high-quality education, especially in low-income areas. Providing more money to these areas can reduce crime and gang activity, lower the teen birth rate, restore self-confidence, provide these students with the opportunity to attend college, and even break the cycle of poverty. The President's “Race to the Top” program is a start, but more needs to be done at the local and state levels. Works Cited Johnson, Frank. Disparities in public school district spending. February 1995. February 21, 2011 .Office of Management and Budget,. US Department of Education. February 21, 2011. March 7, 2011. Washington DC Printing Office