Research suggests that public schools serving advantaged students are more likely than other public schools to benefit from private fundraising. The reviewed report fails to conclusively demonstrate two key claims: that schools serving wealthy student bodies are more likely to have private fundraising groups, and that larger shares of white students are associated with increased private spending. Nonetheless, the report's approach of calculating per-pupil spending to estimate the magnitude of spending by private undraising organizations could be useful to scholars and policymakers interested in understanding the potential impact of school-specific fundraising organizations. These groups could also find report's recommendations helpful, especially those concerning tracking and equalizing funds raised.
