U.S. students from fifth to 12th grade have given their schools a B- grade for the second year in a row, according to the Gallup and Walton Family Foundation Student Report Card released Tuesday.
That average grade results from 26 percent of students giving their school an A, 38 percent a B, and 36 percent a C or lower, according to the report card.
The scores for schools get worse from lower-income students, which Gallup defines as those qualifying for free or reduced lunch, who rank their schools at 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. The 2024 Gallup and Walton Family Foundation Student Report Card data found that beyond household income, neighborhood income also influences student experiences,” the report card said.
In every ZIP code, lower-income students are less likely to give their school an A. The same phenomenon happens when asking parents to grade their children’s schools, with parents in lower-income households giving worse grades.
“The reason for this expanded income gap in wealthier areas is not clear. While research suggests 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 the schools that serve higher-income students — even if they live in the same ZIP code,” the report card said.