Christian Barnard is assistant director of education reform at Reason Foundation.
Barnard's work includes research and analysis of state education and school district finance systems, with the goal of making them more equitable and innovative.
Barnard's writing has been featured in outlets including USA Today, Los Angeles Daily News, Washington Times, and The Hill, among others.
Barnard previously worked with the Foundation for Government Accountability, where he conducted research on labor policy and criminal justice. He also worked for the Pioneer Institute.
He holds a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and economics from Messiah College.
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How the Louisiana GATOR Scholarship ESA bill could impact students and taxpayers
House Bill 745 would enable all Louisiana families to choose and customize their child’s education.
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Mississippi’s INSPIRE Act would upgrade the state’s school finance system
The proposal would improve funding fairness and better target education dollars to higher-need students.
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The key to improving California’s public schools isn’t more money
California’s inflation-adjusted K-12 education funding grew from $12,471 per student in 2002 to $16,934 per student in 2020, a 35.8% growth rate ranked ninth highest in the United States.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom’s education budget ignores fundamental problems
The governor largely ignores declining public school enrollment and California's unsustainable K-12 education spending.
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Arkansas K-12 education finance series: A short history of school finance reform and look at 2024’s adequacy review process
This column is the first in a series examining Arkansas’s K-12 funding system and the state legislature’s biennial adequacy review process.
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North Carolina needs to fix its education funding formula
North Carolina’s education funding formula is confusing for everyone and prioritizes funding for school districts that least need it.
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Florida’s education savings accounts won’t defund public schools
Florida is now giving all families the choice to withdraw from public schools and opt for an ESA of about $8,700 per child.
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Analyzing Nebraska’s proposed legislation impacting school finance and property taxes
State policymakers shouldn’t pass up this opportunity to decrease the education funding formula’s overreliance on property taxes and to make the formula more transparent and student-centered.
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California’s schools need to adapt to the state budget woes
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recently-released budget projects a $22.5 billion deficit, which means school districts will likely need to rightsize operations.