The term “institutional racism” is often tossed around, and many people aren’t even sure what it is. Here is an example. $174 million in Covid aid was allocated by the federal government to help Pennsylvania schools. If the normal funding formula had been used, the Allentown School District would have received $5.6 million.
The state did not use its normal funding formula. Instead it gave all school districts $120,000 plus some money based on number of students. Under this formula, Allentown received $1.5 million.
Districts with the highest density of poor, black, and Hispanic students received less funding that those with the least density. Of course they did. That, my dear readers, is an example of “institutional racism.”
Information for this post is from Michele Merlin, “Report: State shorted its neediest districts,” Morning Call, (Dec. 20, 2020), pp. 1, 3.
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