Education Reform

A New Funding Mechanism

The funding formula used to distribute state funding to school districts is as outdated as the old basic education definition.   The existing formula is an accumulation of patches and remedies for specific problems.  It is complex and not easily understood by legislators or the public.  This legislation creates a new "prototypical schools funding formula" that will send resources out to districts in a transparent and easily understood manner. 

• The formula is for allocation purposes only.  School districts determine how state money is spent, maintaining local control.
• The formula is based on common-sense categories of staff and non-staff costs that are necessary to support instruction and operations in a "model" or "prototypical" school. 
• The formula also includes enhancement categories for students in various programs such as highly capable, career and tech, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate, bilingual, special education and the Learning Assistance Program in order to allow for adjustments to better reflect student demographic differences between each school.

Legislators, parents and the community will be able to see what the state is "buying" with state resources but school boards will still be able to ultimately decide how to use the money to best serve their district's unique needs.

The specific details of the formula will be developed by a work group over the summer in time to be implemented by the Legislature in 2010.

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