Schools and money: who gets it, who gets more, and why

Two schools: one gives some students from low-income families laptops to take home during their summer; the other gives students encouragement and whatever they find off the books, such as volunteer help.

There is a divide in Georgia between what wealthier school districts can offer and what the poorer ones do. The dividing line is green, as in money.

Wealthier districts can receive more money per student than poorer ones, despite a state funding formula that was designed, in part, to divvy up money according to need. Wealthier counties also have a stronger local infrastructure — community groups, successful businesses and a larger base of volunteers — that can dump money and programming into local classrooms.