U.S. students in grades five through 12 gave their schools a grade of B for the second year in a row, according to the Gallup and Walton Family Foundation Student Report Card released Tuesday.
That average results from 26 percent of students giving their school an A grade, 38 percent a B grade and 36 percent a C grade or lower, according to the report card.
School scores worsen among lower-income students, which Gallup defines as those who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, who rate their schools a B-, while affluent students give their institutions a B .
“Local funding, including property taxes, has historically been a significant source of funding for public schools. Data from the 2024 Gallup and Walton Family Foundation Student Report Card found that in addition to family income, neighborhood income also influences students’ experiences,” the report card said.
In all ZIP codes, low-income students are less likely to give their school an A. The same phenomenon happens when parents are asked to rate their children’s schools, with parents from low-income families giving worse ratings.
“The reason for this growing income disparity in the richest areas is unclear. While research suggests that schools that spend more per student tend to have higher graduation rates and test scores, it may be that the neighborhoods where lower-income students live are served by schools with less funding than schools that serve higher-income students – even if they live in the same zip code,” the bulletin said.
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