No more talking around the school-financing issue.

Much of the public debate about school financing over the last year has focused on whether the No Child Left Behind Act is being adequately funded. It's an important question. But if our goal is fairness as well as adequacy in how we fund our public schools, then we need to get to the core of the funding issue. And that means doing away, once and for all, with the system's over-reliance on local property taxes.

For many states, that would require a sea change in public policy. Given the status quo, an overhaul is what's needed.

At the K-12 level, on average, states provide about half of the funds for public schools, with local districts contributing another 43 percent, and the federal government making up the balance. Within a district, most of a community's contributions to the school budget are drawn from local property taxes.

As a rule, the wealthier the community, the higher the property values and the more money available for students, schools and school improvement. It's a self-propelling cycle driven by a regressive tax.

It's also a social flash point that's harming education and eroding confidence in public institutions. By tying school funding so closely to local wealth, we're pitting rich against middle class against ...