ThinkTankWeekly

How state policymakers can address unequal access to adequate school facilities

Brookings | 2026-10-07 | society

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English Summary

The article argues that the physical condition of school facilities is a critical, yet often overlooked, determinant of educational equity. Evidence from New York state demonstrates that students of color are systematically more likely to attend schools with poorer facilities, a disparity largely linked to local property tax wealth. To address this, the report recommends that states strengthen targeted building aid to offset local funding gaps, reduce over-reliance on property taxes for capital projects, and improve transparency through standardized, public reporting on facility quality. Ultimately, the findings position school infrastructure not merely as maintenance, but as a vital, long-term investment in student growth and academic performance.

中文摘要

本文提出,學校設施的物理狀況是一個關鍵但常被忽略的教育公平決定因素。紐約州的證據顯示,有色族裔學生系統性地更可能就讀於設施較差的學校,這種差異與地方房產稅的財富水平高度相關。為了解決此問題,報告建議各州應加強有針對性的建築援助,以彌補地方的資金缺口;減少對房產稅在資本項目上的過度依賴;並透過標準化的公共報告,提高設施品質的透明度。最終,這些研究結果將學校基礎設施定位為不單純的維護開支,而是對學生成長和學術表現至關重要的長期投資。

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