9 Least, 6 Most Equitable NY Schools Are In Hudson Valley: Study

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — When it comes to education, the gap between the haves and the have-nots was never more graphically illustrated than when the world changed because of the coronavirus — a new study finds that Hudson Valley school systems were on both extremes of this divide.

States that provide equitable funding to all school districts, rich and poor, have done a better job overall of weathering the challenges of educating children and providing the new technologies needed during the coronavirus pandemic.

“If we make sure that every school district has equitable funding, students in less affluent communities will have a level playing field with students in wealthy districts," WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez explained. "As a result, their graduation rates will increase, as will their likelihood to pursue higher education and earn larger incomes. College graduates have $524 - $1,112 higher median weekly earnings than people with a high school diploma and no college experience, depending on the degree.”

A new study from Wallet Hub finds that New York has the least equitable school districts in the nation, but some districts within the state are fairer than others. The survey scored 677 districts in New York based on average household income and per-student spending on public schools.

Here is where the most and the least equitable school districts in the Hudson Valley ranked in New York, according to the just released study:

Top 20 — Most Equitable

• Wallkill (3)
• Eldred Central School District (5)
• Windham-Ashland-Jewett (6)
• New Rochelle (12)
• Rondout Valley Central (16)
• Hyde Park Central (19)

Bottom 20 — Least Equitable

• Tuckahoe (658)
• Bronxville (659)
• Blind Brook-Rye Union (665)
• Tuxedo (666)
• Briarcliff Manor (668)
• Byram Hills (669)
• Edgemont (670)
• Scarsdale (673)
• Chappaqua (674)

The data used in the rankings were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics.

Chappaqua, the lowest ranked school system in terms on equality of spending, received an investment of $31,018 per student in public schools with a reported average household income of $250,000, according to the study. Meanwhile, third-ranked Wallkill schools received an investment of $24,062 per student with an average household income of $79,677.

The full report from Wallet Hub can be viewed here.

The study's authors say the discrepancies in funding between the most equitable schools and the least equitable schools have perhaps never posed a greater challenge than in the upcoming school year.

"To support underprivileged school districts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we should make sure that all schools have the resources they need to provide a robust education in the coming year," Gonzalez said. "The pandemic has caused a great amount of learning loss for students, with some months behind where they should be in a normal year. No matter how affluent a school’s community is, it should have enough funding for an effective catch-up year, including tutoring resources for students who have fallen behind."