Equity for All? Black Students and Locally Controlled Funding

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore if and how urban school districts explicitly addressed the needs of Black students within their budgets. Culturally responsive school leadership was used to examine district leaders' budgetary actions. Using content analysis methods and randomized purposeful sampling, we reviewed budget plans from districts with the largest percentages of Black students. We found that 7 of 11 districts included Black students in their plans. However, actions and expenditures did not clearly specify if or how they would support Black students. Recommendations include explicitly incorporating actions and expenditures into plans that directly target Black students.