A Funding Formula For Success?
Rhode Island's reputation as the only state without a formula for funding its schools is now obsolete, reports the Providence Journal. Lawmakers finally approved a plan after surmounting contentious debate that resurrected issues about how these formulas are set across the nation.
First, how much is state government responsible for? It turns out Rhode Island was paying for relatively little, funding about 37 percent of school costs. The national average is closer to 50 percent. But is that the right mix? Must the state always pay more if schools are expected to improve?
And who deserves the most financial help? Rhode Island decided to set a core rate and then bump funding if schools must deal with larger than average enrollment, or more low-income students. Funding also fluctuates based on a community's property values and the area's median family income level. That combination was seen as an effective substitute for directly supporting special education or students learning English. Meanwhile, the highest-performing schools will see cuts that leave local governments footing the bill. Is government creating winners and losers, and is it fair distribution of tax dollars?
-- Eliza Krigman and Lucas Grindley, NationalJournal.com
Beth Glenn responded to A Funding Formula For Success? on July 5, 2010 12:03 AM
An equity roadmap based on kids' needs Our friends in Rhode Island have provided a model of how states can make the concept of greater funding equity into a reality. Their new plan has a number of features that make it more likely money will flow to the students who need it the most: - shifting a greater share of the funding to the state level and away from local contributions; - setting a base level of adequate funding based on real dollar costs for educational inputs adjusted for cost of living; - adding extra investment onto that...
David G. Sciarra responded to A Funding Formula For Success? on July 1, 2010 11:37 PM
Still Run of the Mill Commissioner Gist’s reply underscores why the new Rhode Island funding formula is “run of the mill,” at best. First, it is now widely accepted that a needs-driven funding formula is one based on research to ascertain the actual costs for students to achieve state academic and performance standards. The new Pennsylvania and New Jersey formulas rest on this essential building block. The Rhode Island formula does not. The Rhode Island foundation cost is derived from 2006-07 NCES data – in highly selective spending categories -- from Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. By including a low...
Deborah A. Gist responded to A Funding Formula For Success? on July 1, 2010 10:21 AM
R.I. formula based on national research In my brief blog entry, I obviously did not explain every facet of the new Rhode Island funding formula, but I want to emphasize a few points that Mr. Sciarra completely misconstrues: 1. Our core instructional amount was based on national research, using data from the NCES, is sufficient to fund the requirements of the Rhode Island Basic Education Program, and it in no way focused on states with low per-pupil expenditures. In fact, we looked particularly carefully at our neighboring states, which have some of the highest per-pupil expenditures in the...
Bob Peterson responded to A Funding Formula For Success? on June 29, 2010 11:11 PM
My Fifth Graders Need Bold Leadership If the students in my fifth grade classroom on Milwaukee’s north side were born two miles farther north, several thousand dollars more per student per year would be spent on their education. Thanks to recent budget cuts my students have no gym teacher, no music teacher, and no paraprofessionals. That’s not the case with students in the schools two miles north. Yet for many years, the Wisconsin state legislature – whether controlled by Republicans or Democrats – have refused to restructure the school finance system to make it fair and adequate. It’s a simple...
