Aaron Garth Smith
Director of Education Reform, Reason Foundation
Aaron Garth Smith is the director of education reform at Reason Foundation.
Smith works extensively on education finance policy and his writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including National Review, The Hill, and Education Week.
Smith graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor's degree in business administration and earned a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University.
He is based in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, October 2018
A constitutional right to education would be a win for school choice, Texas' system of great schools promotes school-level autonomy, and more.
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Why Local Education Funding Favors Politics Over Parents—And How To Fix It
Why policymakers should eliminate local operating revenues and move to a full-state funding model.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, September 2018
California's pension crisis hits disadvantaged students the hardest, plus developments in Memphis, Oklahoma, Nevada, and more.
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Beyond Test Scores: A Central Role For Financial Health In Evaluating Arizona’s Charter Schools
With the recent passage of HB 2663, now is a critical time for Arizona to assess how it evaluates charter schools.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, August 2018
Benefit spending is increasing much faster than K-12 spending overall and eating up a rising share of district budgets.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, July 2018
Puerto Rico's student-centered funding system gets green light.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, June 2018
LAUSD's fiscal crisis can't be blamed on charter schools or declining enrollment.
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Five Recommendations to Solve LAUSD’s Looming Fiscal Crisis
The process of right-sizing Los Angeles Unified School District presents an opportunity to lay the foundation for a 21st-century education system that’s productive, agile, and responsive to the needs of students.
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A 2018 Evaluation of LAUSD’s Fiscal Outlook: Revisiting the Findings of the 2015 Independent Financial Review Panel
Los Angeles Unified School District is unique in California and the nation because the size of its projected budget deficits and overall debt dwarfs most other urban school districts.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, May 2018
Houston ISD Board approves performance audit.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, April 2018
Los Angeles Unified School District can no longer hide the full extent of its debt.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, March 2018
Kansas lawmakers negotiating school finance changes.
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The Key School Finance Question: Are Dollars Allocated Based on Students?
The U.S. spends $634 billion annually on public education.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, September 2017
“IPS believes the school is the unit of change in a school district. IPS is moving from a “directive” district - making decisions at the central level in a “one-size” fits all - to a "collaborative" district that shifts decisions to the school level."
