Based on the Policy Focus Report, Rethinking the Property Tax–School Funding Dilemma, this explainer video examines the roles of the local property tax and state aid in funding public education. The video traces the history of funding for public schools while exploring the strengths and challenges of these two revenue sources. Property taxes provide local control and stable funding but can lead to inequalities between wealthy and poor districts. State aid helps address these disparities but can be unreliable during economic downturns and has the potential to erode local control. The video emphasizes that combining property taxes with state aid allows for both local control and greater equity, creating a more balanced and effective school funding system to ensure all students have access to a quality education.

Click here for the Policy Focus Report: https://www.lincolninst.edu/publicati...