#edbuilder

School district borders have power. In almost every state, a substantial portion of districts’ funding is drawn from local property taxes. Under this system, school district borders serve a dual purpose. They define both the student population served by the district and the property tax base that supports it. The border therefore determines which kids have access to what educational resources. That sets off a vicious cycle: Greater property wealth in some districts supports higher school spending; families seek to live within the borders of districts with well-funded schools; and demand for those areas raises home prices, further boosting property tax receipts and school budgets in affluent areas. The result is that our school funding system works to divide communities by wealth, and school district borders entrench those disparities.

Despite the arduous process, three communities have successfully seceded from East Baton Rouge since 2003, when a federal desegregation order was lifted. The secessions have taken a toll. In 2015, 90% of students remaining in parish schools were nonwhite, while the breakaway districts had populations that were 42% white, on average. The loss of St. George would drain the East Baton Rouge tax base, leaving their schools with $765 less per pupil. Additionally, East Baton Rouge would also likely be required to pay legacy costs (such as retiree health care) for the new district, just as it now does for the three previous breakaway districts. St. George schools, on the other hand, would receive nearly $3,000 more per student than East Baton Rouge.