| In the modern world education is of a paramount | | | | Nonetheless, there are also certain similarities |
| importance. In fact, education is important not | | | | between state and local district budgets since |
| only for individuals but for the whole society and | | | | both pay attention to the salary of educators and |
| state as well because it creates the basis of the | | | | traditionally, on both levels specialists attempt to |
| national intellectual potential and defines the future | | | | raise funds in order to constantly increase salaries |
| of the nation. At the same time, modern | | | | of educators and financially motivate their work. |
| education faces a number of problems, among | | | | At the same time, it should be said that state |
| which equity and effective funding of education | | | | budgets are less flexible compared to the local |
| are probably the major ones. | | | | district budgets. This is why the realization of |
| It should be pointed out that nowadays practically | | | | some special programs targeting at the elimination |
| all states and districts are particularly concerned | | | | of inequality is more difficult for state budgets |
| about the equity of education, wide access and | | | | than to local district ones. Moreover, the latter can |
| equal opportunities to all students to receive | | | | better realize the actual need of the community |
| possibly better education. In the result of such a | | | | and use funds more effectively than state |
| policy a variety of programs were developed. For | | | | budgets though, even on the local level, the use |
| instance, there are programs that support full | | | | of funds is not perfect. |
| funding for the parent education programs, the | | | | As for the federal level, the funding of education |
| at-risk preschool programs and all day | | | | is getting even more complicated and, probably, |
| kindergartens to students begin school ready to | | | | less effective. At the same time, the |
| learn. Culturally diverse communities develop their | | | | distinguishable feature of the federal funding of |
| budgets taking into consideration the increasing | | | | education is the trend to make education more |
| at-risk and bilingual weighting factors and other | | | | accessible and less costly for possibly larger |
| strategies in order to give more time and support | | | | number of people. No wonder that there are a |
| to students who are not meeting grade level | | | | variety of programs and strategies which target |
| outcomes. | | | | at the minimization of costs of education, |
| At the same time, the cases, when there is | | | | especially for deprived classes, including |
| additional support and full funding for the cost of | | | | representatives of lower classes. As a result, such |
| special education services for children with | | | | programs as a well-known presidential initiative No |
| exceptional needs through special school finance, | | | | Child Left Behind are developing. |
| formulas are not rare though often they provoke | | | | At the same time, often the main priority of such |
| discussions as for reasonability of such funding | | | | programs is public education and public schools. In |
| and clearness and objectivity of such finance | | | | this respect, it is possible to trace the same |
| formulas. | | | | trends in the state budget, but the difference is |
| Nonetheless, it is strategically important to provide | | | | that on the federal level there is even less |
| schools with sufficient funding in order to make | | | | contact with the local communities and, what is |
| education really accessible and equal, though, it is | | | | more, there is practically no effective programs |
| worthy of mention that special programs and | | | | that really targets at gifted students, for instance. |
| initiatives affect dramatically local district budgets | | | | In actuality, the federal funding of education is |
| and often education becomes a kind of burden | | | | focused on masses of students, regardless their |
| for the budget. In this respect, it is necessary to | | | | actual needs, unlike local district budgets which are |
| underline that the problem of effective use of | | | | more conscious of the needs of local communities. |
| financial funds is even more important and serious | | | | As a result, the modern education is characterized |
| than the problem of funding proper. | | | | by quite a paradoxical situation when the funding |
| Unlike the local district budget, the funding on the | | | | increases but, on the federal level, it is focused on |
| state level is quite different. In this respect, it is | | | | public education at large and does not take into |
| necessary to point out that one of the primary | | | | consideration the needs of local communities. In |
| concerns of the state budget is funding public | | | | stark contrast, on the level of local district |
| schools which are a kind of priority. Moreover, | | | | budgets funding may be more flexible and |
| often general support for public schools reflects | | | | correspond to the actual needs of the local |
| level funding. It is also noteworthy that, as a rule, | | | | community but, unfortunately, the local district |
| a state budget is less focused on special | | | | budget cannot afford all special programs and |
| programs and initiatives compared to local district | | | | initiatives they develop. In such a situation, the |
| budget though it is traditionally accepted that the | | | | state funding becomes a kind of mediator |
| financial aid to local districts is essential from the | | | | between local districts that use funding more |
| part of the state in order to increase the | | | | effectively but often lack funds and federal |
| effectiveness of the local district budgets, which, | | | | authorities, which have funds but use them not |
| as it has already been mentioned above, are not | | | | very effectively. |
| always able to afford the funding of all programs. | | | | |