A new report from the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council says Rhode Island needs to do much more to help students in low-income school districts and finds the state isn't doing nearly enough to address inequities in public education. According to NBC 10 in providence, RIPEC's Michael Dibiase said the COVID-19 pandemic only made those existing problems worse. Rhode Island's education funding formula was changed by legislation in 2010, with the changes phased in over a decade, beginning in 2012.

Under the current formula, Rhode Island school districts spend an average of over $19,000 per pupil, which is 20% higher than the national average, but on a district-by-district level, many low-income communities are still spending less per pupil.