This paper delves into the effects of public investment on primary school enrollment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across three decades, from 1990 to 2020. Autoregressive distributed lag models are employed to evaluate their long-term relationship for the whole sample and four distinct sub-samples while also probing the potential…

In this essay, the authors examine a congressional proposal -- the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) -- to allow taxpayers to redirect their federal tax dollars to organizations that would provide funding for students to enroll in private school or to help pay for outside educational supports. Based on the implementation of similar…

California's K-12 enrollment is projected to decline for the next two decades, driven by falling birth rates, reduced immigration, and out-of-state migration. With fewer students, districts receive fewer state dollars and may be forced to make tough decisions, including reductions to programs, staff, and/or schools. However, budget realignment…

Early care and education (ECE) programs can provide a lifetime of benefits to children and families, but a lack of public support leaves these valuable services vulnerable to collapse during economic downturns. The COVID-19 pandemic was a particularly intense emergency for ECE providers: closures due to illness or shelter-in-place ordinances…