In a 2016 memorandum discussing federal school finance policy, Gordon and West highlight the problem of inequity in federal funding of K – 12 public schools. The authors note that a main issue for the Obama administration was addressing efficiency in school spending, but the Trump administration would need to solve inequity in resource redistribution. As Bobrow states, “Timing is important in politics,” so these experts got their policy input in to President Trump early to influence his educational policy agenda.[1] Within this problem, the authors note three issues. The first is that federal funds are disproportionately distributed across the states relative to poverty levels.[2] The second is that inequity also occurs on the district level with per-pupil spending.[3] The third and final issue is that certain conditions attached to funding are unattainable for some districts, only hurting their funding more.[4] As a solution, Gordon and West suggest steps to take in preparation for the reauthorization of the ESSA in 2019. The initiatives include altering the formula of distribution of Title I funds, continue requiring district transparency but be cautious of applying a one-size-fits-all federal rule, and to “limit conditions on formula funds to influence state and local policy.”[5]
           For Christians to be prudentially involved in this policy problem, they should first ask, is inequity in education funding a significant problem? I believe that the largest problem lies in the centralized nature of the education system due to things like federal funding. Wasteful spending and lack of market competition are largely the problems in education, so it is true that the problem is an economic one. Biblical principles inform Christians to be a good steward of all that the Lord provides, even money. They also remind them that the family is instituted by God and so it is the liberty of parents to educate their children how they wish. To prudentially engage, Christians should advocate for a more efficient economic approach to education which limits federal involvement as well as for decentralization of education in order to expand opportunities for parents to exercise their God-given liberty to choose their child’s education.