Student Opportunity Gaps

Finance Task Force Explores Key Options Tuesday

By November 12, 2012 No Comments

The MDE Education Finance Task Force meets Tuesday to further explore six key options to solidify its recommendations to the Governor on  bringing stability to the state’s funding formula.

The group, initially formed in 2011 and reconvened this year, is focused on making recommendations to the Governor for a school funding model that:

  • Focuses on supporting students and results  (accountable)
  • Allows decision to made closest to delivery of service (supports teachers, teachers and schools)
  • Meets our commitments (adequate and equitable)
  • Provides greater flexibility of how funds are used (preserves local control)
  • Is more transparent, rational and comprehensive
  • Is structurally sound yet nimble enough to meet emerging needs

On Tuesday, the group will meet to explore these options:

  • Every child has access to high quality kindergarten and pre-kindergartner.
  • Improve equity and uniformity across districts (strengthen the basic formula and reduce reliance on referendums to pay for general operations).
  • Reform special education funding based on student service needs.
    • Increase state aid to reduce cross subsidies.
    • Allocate a portion of funding based on district enrollment
    • Target excess cost aid to districts with greatest need.
    • Excess costs shared between resident district and serving district or charter school.
    • Increase achievement for all and reduce gaps.
  • Simplify compensatory educating funding.
    • Allow district greater flexibility to use compensatory funding to close achievement gaps
    • Reward growth in student achievement
    • Clarify uses of integration revenue and allocate funding based on need
  • Simply funding formulas.
    • Reduce number of student county and pupil unit weighting
  • Provide a smooth transition to the new funding system.
    • Revenue increased are phased in over 4-6 years
    • Hold harmless ensures no districts will receive a reduction in funding