In the first major study on basic aid since California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) was enacted in 2013, researchers determined that 139 districts, which serve 5.5 percent of the state’s TK-12 students, benefit from growing funding advantages.The principle behind LCFF is that all students deserve to have a high-quality education regardless of their ZIP code. It is intended to provide more resources for students who have the greatest need. “However, some districts — known as basic aid districts — generate more funding from local property taxes than the state calculates they need under LCFF,” according to an October report by Policy Analysis for California Education and Bellwether. “Basic aid districts keep their extra property tax revenues, often generating thousands of dollars more per student than other districts”Excess Revenue, Unequal Opportunity Revisiting Basic Aid in the LCFF Era found that “excess local revenue in basic aid districts has risen 41 percent (17 percent when adjusted for inflation) over five years — outpacing LCFF growth and widening the gap between property-rich districts and those that rely on state aid.”