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Actually most of those are a combination of funding sources. But even given that, the effectiveness of those programs can't be distanced from counter effects fr
by lostcolony 6y ago
Actually most of those are a combination of funding sources. But even given that, the effectiveness of those programs can't be distanced from counter effects from national policy.
For instance, libraries are funded by both federal and local sources. There is only one party that consistently wants to remove that funding (hint @which one: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/79496-in-fy2020-budget-proposal-trump-renews-bid-to-end-to-federal-library-funding.html https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/l...)
How much additionally is spent is locally determined, yes, and here you see that disparity as well. In Georgia, a heavily GOP state where I have family, the online catalog is pretty meager, even for major cities. While they have PINES for the less populous counties, a state-wide interlibrary loan program, it only is for physical books. Access to electronic resources is anemic. In California, a heavily Dem state where I live, the online resources tend to be excellent (especially if you're in larger counties/cities), not only having an extensive online catalog, but a lot of extras (Kanopy, Hoopla, language learning stuff, etc).
But even all that aside, the -effectiveness- is curtailed by federal effects. Online resource access, extremely relevant under COVID, requires stable internet access. But unfortunately, that's not always available. Attempts to treat internet as a utility, to financially fund broadband rollout nationwide, have failed, due to one particular party preferring it staying privatized and purely for profit. Programs to create financial incentives to offset the cost even where it is rolled out have been created, but only under one party, and the other seems inclined to defund or cancel them. Attempts to allow municipalities to roll out their own broadband to be able to offer faster speeds without data caps at lower prices have been fought tooth and nail, again, by one particular party, on behalf of preventing governmental 'competition' with the private sector.
Etc. In short, while you're right that localities are run by both major political parties, both the explicit statement you make that funding is local (only), and the implicit belief you're relying on that you can distance local effect from federal decisions, are wrong.
- bhupy 6y ago0.4% (yes, really) of library funding comes from the Federal government. Cutting that spending is literally a rounding error for libraries. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/library-funding https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/library... Only 8% of public school budgets comes from the Federal government: https://theconversation.com/federal-spending-covers-only-8-of-public-school-budgets-142348 https://theconversation.com/federal-spending-covers-only-8-o... The impact of Federal spending cuts on these programs is overrated, and one good-faith reason for cutting that spending is to federalize (I.e. decentralize) the administration of those services.
- kyralis 6y agoAt the scale of the US, those numbers can be highly misleading. Public schools in high-income areas are likely either receiving less from the government or it simply makes up a tiny percentage of their budget. I suspect that the percentage is a bit higher when you look at low-income areas (either within states or even at the state level).
- bhupy 6y ago> I suspect that the percentage is a bit higher when you look at low-income areas (either within states or even at the state level). Okay but how many standard deviations higher? In every single State and school district, Federal funding is a tiny minority of the total budget. If we're talking about public libraries, even an order of magnitude higher %age of budget attributable to the Federal funding is a whopping...4%.
- kyralis 6y agoDo you have a source for this?
- bhupy 6y agoYes: https://www.governing.com/topics/education/gov-state-education-spending-revenue-data.html https://www.governing.com/topics/education/gov-state-educati... The State that's the most reliant on Federal spending is New Mexico; 14% of its budget comes from the Federal government. In every State except for Oklahoma, YoY education spending increased in 2019.
- srtjstjsj 6y agoThis is largely true because States refuse to fund education equitably, allowing local public school funding to fluctuate wildly with local wealth.
- xsmasher 6y agoThe average number doesn't speak to the impact on individual districts. I'm sure the impact of federal spending cuts will be small on schools whose per-student budget is already large, and large on schools whose per-student budget is small. In other words, cuts would hurt the poorest schools the most, and increase the divide that the parent article is talking about.
- selimthegrim 6y agoIn Louisiana we have Kanopy and Hoopla too (I can't speak to outside New Orleans metro area but there are state wide ILL programs)