Your middle class neighborhood is probably disappearing

[NNN0LHI]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/RussellSageIncomeSegregationreport.pdf?ref=us

Growth in the Residential Segregation of Families by Income, 1970-2009

Sean F. Reardon
Kendra Bischoff
Stanford University

Report Abstract
November 2011

As overall income inequality grew in the last four decades, high- and
low-income families have become increasingly less likely to live near
one another. Mixed income neighborhoods have grown rarer, while
affluent and poor neighborhoods have grown much more common. In
fact, the share of the population in large and moderate-sized metropolitan
areas who live in the poorest and most affluent neighborhoods
has more than doubled since 1970, while the share of families living in
middle-income neighborhoods dropped from 65 percent to 44 percent.
The residential isolation of the both poor and affluent families has
grown over the last four decades, though affluent families have been
generally more residentially isolated than poor families during this
period. Income segregation among African Americans and Hispanics
grew more rapidly than among non-Hispanic whites, especially since
2000. These trends are consequential because people are affected by
the character of the local areas in which they live. The increasing
concentration of income and wealth (and therefore of resources such as
schools, parks, and public services) in a small number of neighborhoods
results in greater disadvantages for the remaining neighborhoods
where low- and middle-income families live.

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[CoffeeCat]

2. Very interesting article...

...and the graphs really do illustrate that the extremes are growing. More people are in
low-income areas and also in affluent areas. The middle class is disappearing.

It feels so Darwinian. Everyone is scrambling to survive with this messed up system in
which we currently live--and you either sink or swim.

And swimming requires lots of advantages that cost a great deal of money. So, the bar
is higher and the obstacles are more great--to get into that "affluent" category. Plus, if
you are born into the lower-income categories--it's hard to get out when your school
is crumbling, you don't get nutritious foods to eat, and your neighborhood isn't safe.

Another way that we are being divided. And the right-wing does such a bang-up job of
fostering hate and disgust toward those on the lower end of the economic scale.

[NNN0LHI]

3. Here in Illinois it is the schools that this is so noticeable

In the suburbs the high schools resemble well funded college campuses with all the amenities. Our inner city schools are lucky to have heat and unbroken glass in the windows.

It really sucks.

Don

[exboyfil]

5. Some facts about Illinois school funding

Chicago public schools spend $13K/yr. per student and get 43% of their funds from local, 28% from state, and 28% from federal.

Hinsdale one of the suburban schools you refer to spends $17.7K/yr. per student and get 94.4% of their funds from local, 1.1% from state, and 2.6% from federal.

Here is Iowa most of our school districts are much closer in funding. We spend about $9K/yr. and our sister district which does not do as well on standardized testing (it has a larger minority and ESL) spends about a $1K/yr. per student.

Our test scores are competitive with Hinsdale (24.9 for Hinsdale while 23.8 for us).

The question becomes can you get to a more consistent funding across schools like Iowa. Most of Hinsdale's expeditures are from local taxes. You could reduce the state and federal and reduce the per pupil to $16.7K/yr., but those funds would not even register in a $5.3B CPS budget. How many students are getting spending like Hinsdale students? Statewide Illinois spends less per student than they do in the CPS system.



An interesting article can be found in the attached.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-school-funding-gaps-20111107,0,370327.story

[NNN0LHI]

6. Thank you for taking the time to post that information

I knew it was bad but I didn't know it was that bad. I was not aware of a lot of the information you provided.

Thanks again.

Don

[NNN0LHI]

4. Town I grew up in was a bustling community with factories and business all over

Now it is pretty much one big paved parking lot. About the only sign of life is immigrants opening up a few restaurants and grocery stores. If it wasn't for them it would be completely dead.

Don