Thompson, Panetta Introduce All Children Are Equal (ACE) Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) have introduced the All Children Are Equal (ACE) Act, a bill that will fix the way federal grants are distributed under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which are intended to combat the effects of poverty on student achievement.
 
The current formula has the perverse effect of diverting funding from higher poverty school districts to more populous school districts, regardless of actual poverty rates. This legislation eliminates the number weighting system used to distribute grants to ensure that school districts are treated equally based upon their percentages of poverty, rather than population.  
 
“In rural America, one in five children are living in poverty and are often put at an educational disadvantage simply based on their zip code,” Rep. Thompson said. “The ACE Act levels the playing field for impoverished students and ensures funding is equitably distributed in accordance with the original intent of the law. No child should be put at a disadvantage because of their geographic location or the size of their school. The ACE Act is simply about parity and promotes equity under the law.”  
 
“The federal government’s formula to allocate funding to support low-income students leaves too many kids in small schools behind,” said Rep. Panetta.  “That’s why I’m proud to support this bipartisan legislation to update federal K-12 funding and ensure that we’re prioritizing schools with the highest concentrations of poverty.  Doing so will help us target the areas of greatest need, regardless of size, and result in millions more in additional support for low-income students in California’s 19th Congressional District and across our country.”
 
 
“AASA is proud to endorse the All Children Are Equal Act. Title I is the flagship federal K through 12 program, aimed at leveling the playing field for students in poverty. The Title I formulae, as currently codified, preserve a gross inequity in the way dollars are allocated: continued reliance on number weighting within the formula has the perverse effect of diverting funding from higher poverty school districts to more populous school districts, regardless of the actual poverty rates. Stated another way, the current Title I formulae are inequitable and conflate the mere presence of poverty with the concentration of poverty, which is both inequitable and in direct conflict with the program’s intent. The ACE Act will phase out the current number weighting system and ensure that school districts receive their Title I funding based on actual concentration of poverty. We’ve been honored to partner with Representatives Thompson and Panetta on this effort and commend them for their continued leadership and advocacy on this topic.” Dr. David R. Schuler, Executive Director, AASA, The School Superintendents Association 
 
“The National Rural Education Organization and National Rural Education Advocacy Consortium are proud to endorse the All Children Are Equal Act. We have highlighted this issue for more than a decade and are proud of the work and leadership Representatives Thompson and Panetta have provided on this issue.” Allen Pratt, Executive Director, National Rural Education Association 
 
This legislation is also supported by the Small School Districts Association, the Association of Education Service Agencies, the National Rural Education Advocacy Consortium, Rural School and Community Trust, American Farm Bureau Federation, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, California County Superintendents, and YouthBuild USA. 
 

###