Government revenues are not likely to increase as a percentage of gross domestic product or of personal income. Therefore, all public services will be competing against each other for the same funds. An increasing proportion of older Americans will mean greater voter interest in public funding for functions such as health care, recreational facilities, and police protection - services that older individuals tend to use more than they do public education services. Funding for public education will need to compete with funding for health care, funding for parks and recreation, and funding for police and security in many communities as the age profile shifts and communities have more older members. As the American population ages, fewer people will have a direct interest in education, and securing public support for public schools may become more difficult.
These factors combine to paint a bleak picture of public school finance in the future. Schools and supporters of public education need to work harder to rally support for public school funding and will need to build partnerships with others who benefit from public education for greater school support.
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