Rich Schools, Poor Schools and a Biden Plan The way U.S. education is funded can widen disparities. A proposed $20 billion program seeks to even things out. Schools in low-income Mississippi, like this one in Brookhaven, receive less federal support per student than schools in wealthy Connecticut.Credit...Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press By Kevin Carey Can President Biden fix America’s inequitable public school funding? The administration’s latest budget proposal suggests he’s going to try. The plan includes a $20 billion program for high-poverty school districts. States would get additional funding if they “address longstanding funding disparities” between rich and poor districts.