Carrie Hahnel

How this small Napa County district pays teachers $50,000 more than its neighbors — and why the gap keeps growing A new study shows California’s funding system lets wealthy “basic aid” districts like St. Helena Unified outspend neighbors such as Napa Valley Unified by tens of thousands per student, widening pa…

I spoke with Tarina Mehta about how property values continue to drive education funding inequalities in California, creating sharp disparities in teacher labor markets in some regions like Napa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, and San Diego. www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/10/23/s...

SAISD seeking proposals to repurpose closed school buildings, campuses Applicants have until Oct. 17 to submit ideas for new functions at district properties.

Nice to see a district engaging the community on how to reuse vacant school sites after downsizing due to enrollment declines. San Antonio ISD says the goal is to “transform these underutilized spaces into productive assets that benefit surrounding neighborhoods.” www.expressnews.com/news/educati...

3. Implement regional cost adjustments; 4. Provide more state aid to lower-wealth districts; and 5. Capture and redistribute some or all excess property tax revenues. (6/6)

We offer five potential pathways to funding fairness: 1. Require some districts to consolidate or share services; 2. Expand interdistrict transfer and related choice policies… (5/6)

The average excess advantage district generated $7,197 per pupil above LCFF targets, with more than a dozen such districts benefitting from $20,000+ per pupil in excess revenue. (4/6)

These “excess advantage” districts continue to gain more inflation-adjusted per-pupil General Fund revenue, widening the gap and contradicting the state’s school funding principles. (3/6)

139 districts—serving just 5.5 percent of California’s TK–12 students—are benefitting from growing funding advantages. Just 50 of these districts generated $1.15 billion in excess revenue (87% of the statewide total) in 2023–24. (2/6)

I'm pleased to share a new report I coauthored with @bellwetherorg.bsky.social's Sophie Zamarripa and @edpolicyinca.org's @agallagheredpolicy.bsky.social, sharing findings from the first major study of basic aid districts since LCFF was enacted in California. edpolicyinca.org/publications... (1/6)

The US Population Could Shrink in 2025, For the First Time Ever It's a story with massive economic and political significance. But it's receiving strangely little attention.

One more reason K-12 schools need to be watching immigration trends closely: "In a negative-immigration world, the under-18 population would quickly fall."

The US Population Could Shrink in 2025, For the First Time Ever
www.derekthompson.org/p/the-us-pop...

Balanced, insightful take by @latimes.com Howard Blume on enrollment decline in LAUSD, drawing upon new data from Los Angeles nonprofit GPSN on what steeply plummeting enrollment means for LA schools, students, and families.

Make the data matter. When districts see benefits (or consequences) to what they're reporting -- and when they don't feel like they're uploading information into a black hole -- data quality will improve.

Low-income communities and communities of color do not have to be devastated by school closures.

There’s a better way: Equity-centered whole-school magnet programs that boost enrollment AND diversity.

We partnered with the good folks at ‪@tcfdotorg.bsky.social‬ to map out how 🧵👇

Systems Under Strain: Warning Signs of a Nationwide School Closure Surge | Bellwether

🚨 NEW! 🚨

Bellwether analyzed data from over 9,300 school districts across the country to explore warning signs of coming school closures.

From Christine Dickason, Paul Beach, Carrie Hahnel, and
Andy Jacob.

bellwether.org/publications...

Bellwether warns of school closures, consolidations ahead The nonprofit's analysis suggests enrollment declines may have cost the nation's 100 largest districts $5.2 billion.

New analysis from me, Paul Beach, @carriehahnel.bsky.social, & Andy Jacob on several leading indicators that suggest school closures may become more frequent. #edusky

➡️ The analysis: bellwether.org/publications...

📰 K-12 Dive coverage @annamerod.bsky.social: www.k12dive.com/news/school-...

Excellent reporting on the consequences of declining enrollment and district leaders' reluctance to make tough decisions.

Federal Policy on English Learners: Early Actions for States in Response to Recent Changes | Bellwether

As federal support for English learners wanes, states have an opportunity - and responsibility - to lead. We lay out concrete actions states can take now to support English learners in the midst of a swiftly changing federal landscape. Read here: bellwether.org/publications... #EdPolicy #ELs

Why Texas is ahead of California on bilingual education Texas enrolls its English learners in bilingual education at more than double the rate of California.

If bilingual education can thrive in Texas, it should also be possible in deep blue California. Great story from @edsource.org showing what's possible and what it would take to get there. edsource.org?page_id=730896

Navigating Declining Enrollment: A Toolkit for California District Leaders to Design Stronger Schools and Systems | Bellwether California’s K-12 enrollment is projected to decline for the next two decades due to lower birth rates, reduced immigration, and out-of-state migration. With fewer students, school districts will rece...

Change is coming to California’s schools as enrollment falls. Will district leaders put off tough choices or lead the way?

Bellwether's new toolkit provides research-backed strategies for school systems facing declining enrollment.

bellwether.org/publications...

Portland Public Schools faces a tricky dilemma: whether to advance a costly bond to modernize high school facilities while enrollment is expected to drop steeply in the coming years. Will there be enough students to fill those high schools?

Great reporting from Joanna Hou.

How are K12 superintendents addressing looming school closures? Three districts have discussed possible closures in the past week. Here's how their respective leaders are communicating their plans.

School closures are a tough reality yet thoughtful planning can help ensure value and equity in the process. @carriehahnel.bsky.social, PACE Sr. Policy & Research Fellow / Bellwether Sr. Associate Partner in Policy & Evaluation, shares key strategies. districtadministration.com/article/how-... (1/4)

Dollars and Degrees: Perspectives From the Field — Spotlight on Illinois | Bellwether As states grapple with how to fund colleges and universities in an equitable and sustainable way, several are revising their higher education funding formulas. These formulas — a primary mechanism by ...

Reforming how a state funds its higher ed institutions is hard and important work. Perhaps no one knows this better than #highered leaders in IL, who are working to pass a new funding formula that focuses on adequacy & equity. Read my new Q&A w/some of these leaders. bellwether.org/blog/dollars...

Why does St. Helena Unified spend nearly 3 times as much as Napa school district per student? Calistoga Joint Unified and St. Helena Unified are basic aid or community funded school districts while Napa Valley Unified depends on a combination of state aid and local property taxes.

Grateful for local reporters tackling issues like inequitable school property taxes. I spoke with Tarini Mehta @northbaynews.bsky.social on why California "basic aid" districts like wealthy St. Helena vastly outspend needier neighbors like Napa Valley: www.pressdemocrat.com/article/napa...

Inspired by today's conversation about an education civil rights agenda for California's next quarter century.

Was awesome to be in a room with so many researchers, advocates, and civil rights greats like Tom Saenz, Patricia Gandara, Mark Rosenblum, Maria Echaveste, and my old prof Gary Orfield.

Nobody wants to close schools, but a thoughtful closure process help ensure long-term solvency and a stronger, better resourced system.

I enjoyed speaking with Carolyn Jones @calmatters.org about California's steep declining enrollment, state budget uncertainties, and impending school closures. calmatters.org/education/k-...

Hi BlueSky! I'm a Sr Associate Partner at Bellwether, where I conduct research and advise on education policy. Things I'm passionate about these days: K12 and postsecondary finance, declining enrollment, school closures, system redesign, protecting marginalized youth, building abundance.