Indiana schools administrators understand the need to function within a budget; however, changes in the funding formula by the state have made it difficult to know how much to expect. Although legislators unveiled a roughly $32 billion, two-year budget that has increases in school funding, very little of the increase will come to Marshall County. The new state education budget includes $464 million in new school spending. This is a 2.3 percent annual increase.
From 2016 to 2017, suburban school districts, including Hamilton Southeastern ($24.3 million increase), Carmel Clay Schools ($15.1 million increase), Metropolitan School District of Perry Township ($12.5 million), Tippecanoe School Corporation ($10.7 million increase) and others, will see the most increases, while Indianapolis Public Schools ($32.4 million loss), Gary Schools Corporation ($9.2 million loss), School of East Chicago ($4.6 million loss) and other urban districts could lose millions of dollars.
Charter Schools will see an increase of some $500 per student, but only if they receive schools grades of “A”, “B” or “C”. They could also see extra money if they perform as well as their public school counterparts. This reflects a total increase of about $10 million per year. They will also be allowed to apply for loans from the state’s common school fund.
The new education funding budget taking effect on July 1 and staying in effect until June 2017, seeks to equalize money per student and, at the same time, raise the funding for schools where enrollment is expanding faster than expected. The state counts student enrollment (ADM) two times each year. The state uses the number of students enrolled on those two days to determine the per pupil amount of funding.
The new formula for funding calculates the “complexity” piece used to track poverty. In the past, school districts were reporting their poverty numbers using the number of students who qualified for both free and reduced benefits. Now the formula does not give credit for those qualifying for reduced benefits, just those who are entitled to free benefits. Additionally, they used the numbers from those in foster care, with a three-year transition from the current rate.
Schools like Culver, who were receiving more than the average or more than what other schools were getting due to poverty factors will see a reduction in their funding to meet the ADM equalizing statewide. But John Glenn Schools that had been receiving around $5,000 per student, will now get funding closer to the average in Marshall County. Schools like Oregon-Davis, with decreasing enrollments could still see an increase since their dollars per student was below the average.
Additional factors include students enrolled in CTE (Career Technology Education), ELL (English Language Learners), and FDK (Full Day Kindergarten).
Although school districts will receive extra funding to provide services to students with no or limited English speaking and reading skills, the percent of ELL students must reach 25 percent of the total enrollment. Plymouth Schools Superintendent, Daniel Tyree, said they had been under the understanding that there would continued funding for the ELL students in their enrollment. However, Plymouth Schools who only have 17 percent ELL students will not qualify.
One good this that comes out of the new formula is that for once the state can definitely say and prove they are funding FDK fully. In the past, schools could only count kindergarten students at a half rate, even they provided full- day programs. Additionally, the state would extend a grant that paid an additional $2,400 per students per full time kindergarten student. Now, schools will receive funding at a whole student rate.
Carol Anders Correspondent
