Public schools are in desperate need of reform, and one solution gaining steam, known as “backpack funding,” would allow money to follow a child from school to school.

The “backpack funding” concept is similar to how funding for colleges work: Schools receive funding based on how many students they have. Most districts currently receive funding on a per-pupil basis, but that money gets spent on buildings, teachers and materials in a way that creates discrepancies between each school. At the school level, funding is often disconnected from what students generate.