Are they cutting advance programs in your local public schools? If so, is it due more to red tape, budgets and inept school boards or political reasons?

I've read a lot of discussions about the American education system and its issues. The fact that things are run differently in every school district makes the whole thing even more convoluted. One talking point I heard brought up often is advance programs in public schools being cut. Some attributed that to poor managements in certain areas. Some others say that many of these decisions are made in the name of equity. How wide spread is this practice? Is it true that some school boards made those decisions from an equity based political stances?