Christian Barnard
Assistant Director of Education Reform, Reason Foundation
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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Which K-12 finance systems foster school choice?
A look at education funding portability in five states and why it matters.
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Don’t trust the federal government with the nation’s largest school choice program
A federal school choice program would establish a one-stop shop for Congress to impose nationwide mandates on private schools.
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Frequently asked questions about Montana school finance reform
Montana employs a hybrid education funding formula that has features of multiple formula types—student-centered, resource-based, and program-based.
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Assessing the fiscal impact of the Montana Academic Prosperity Program for Scholars
Montana House Bill 320 would allow the use of tax credits to fund students’ scholarships for private school tuition or other educational expenses.
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Fiscal Analysis: How Arkansas’ Education Freedom Account program is impacting taxpayers and students
By adopting the Education Freedom Account program, Arkansas became the 11th state in the nation to adopt a universal school choice initiative.
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Public school closures were on the upswing in 2024
In the 15 states examined, public school closures increased in 2023-24.
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Virginia’s K-12 funding system needs an overhaul, not tweaks
Virginia can do better by its students, but that requires ripping off the band-aid and pursuing a comprehensive school finance overhaul.
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Arkansas K-12 education finance series: How to improve the state’s school funding system
Arkansas is in a good position to build on recent K-12 reform successes and pursue comprehensive school finance reform in the coming year.
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Arkansas K-12 education finance series: Teacher pay before and after the 2023 LEARNS Act
The LEARNS Act will have a substantial impact on the state’s school finance system moving forward.
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Arkansas K-12 education finance series: Adequacy review findings and recommendations so far
A 2007 Arkansas Supreme Court ruling mandates that the legislature must regularly review the adequacy of the state’s K-12 funding system.
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Arkansas K-12 education finance series: How Arkansas schools are funded
While education funding in every state is complex, Arkansas enjoys a relatively streamlined and straightforward funding system.
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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.