PANDEMIC RECOVERY - MISSING STUDENTS AND FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS - A POLICY BRIEF FROM THE JACKSONVILLE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND - SPRING 2021

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

The policy brief addresses how pandemic-era enrollment declines create “missing students” and how those absences can translate into funding losses for Florida public schools, since education funding follows enrollment. It explains long-term harm from the Great Recession to state and local school revenue and highlights regressive funding structures that worsen inequities. It outlines that states retain strong control over local funding, while local voters repeatedly back tax increases for schools. Recommendations urge more progressive funding mechanisms to support recovery from learning loss and ensure equitable outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Key Takeaways

The Great Recession’s Lasting Harm to Public School Funding

Local Education Funding Is Largely Controlled by the State

Local Voters Consistently Support Tax Increases for Schools

PANDEMIC RECOVERY, MISSING STUDENTS AND FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS A POLICY BRIEF FROM THE JACKSONVILLE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND SPRING 2021 INTRODUCTION 1 Photo credit: Jerial Fennell, Duval County Public Schools 1 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. To learn more about the basic terms and funding mechanisms used for Florida's schools, check out JPEF's research brief "Demystifying School Funding" (Fall 2011) . KEY TAKEAWAYS • School enrollment has dropped during the coronavirus pandemic. Because state funding is tied to student enrollment, this could lead to devastating funding cuts for schools. • Schools will need more funding, not less, to help students recover from learning loss during the pandemic. • Now is a great time to consider a more progressive funding formula that would promote equitable outcomes for all students. THE GREAT RECESSION’S LASTING HARM TO PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING To understand what this recession could do to public education funding, it’s helpful to look back at the last economic crisis. Across the United States, public schools lost a total of nearly $600B in state and local revenue in the years following the Great Recession.1 If states had maintained their pre-Recession funding for PK-12 schools, public schools would have had over $1 trillion more in state and local revenue today.2 Even after the Great Recession recovery, public school funding lagged behind in most states.3 Nationally, between 2008 and 2018, inflationadjusted GDP (a measure of economic activity) increased by 17%, while state and local revenues for PK-12 schools increased by only 6% .4 Further, fifteen states, including Florida, have regressive systems for PK-12 funding that allocate less funding to high-poverty districts than those with lower poverty rates.5 This systemic inequity could also have a greater impact where regressive funding formulas were and are used to distribute COVID-19 relief to public schools.6 LOCAL EDUCATION FUNDING IS LARGELY CONTROLLED BY THE STATE In Florida, state policymakers have significant say over local school funding, placing many funding issues out of the hands of locally elected school boards. While perstudent funding has increased in recent years, it’s still far below the national average.7 There are several ways the state controls and restricts local education funding: • School district leaders across Florida have consistently affirmed that state funding does not cover the costs of all the state requires them to do through partial or unfunded mandates.89 • Atthe same time, the state puts a ceiling on how much the local school board can raise local property tax rates.10 • When the state expands property tax exemptions (primarily through homestead exemptions), it reduces the property taxes that districts can collect, which may exacerbate disparities in school districts with smaller tax bases.11 Asthe state has continued imposing limits and restrictions on local education funding, school boards throughout the state have resorted to direct ballot measures to loc

FAQs

Why does the enrollment drop affect public school funding?

State funding is tied to student enrollment, so fewer students can trigger funding losses. Those losses can create lasting impacts across the public school system.

What ongoing funding gaps does the brief highlight during the pandemic?

Federal stimulus dollars can help, but they cannot replace ongoing state funding. The brief emphasizes that state revenue uncertainty may lead to state aid cuts.

What change does the brief recommend for a more equitable funding system?

It recommends considering a more progressive funding formula. The goal is to promote equitable outcomes for all students, especially in higher-need districts.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian