Monday, February 25, 2008
School District Funding
Someone referred in a previous blog to funding issues for public schools. Different districts are allowed different levels of funding by the state. Wawasee is near the bottom in our area (Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette, Sunday, May 6, 2007). Eight area districts are lower than Wawasee, while 26 districts are higher in General Funding. If we received the same per pupil funding as neighbors Tippy Valley and Whitko, our annual increase would be about $300,000. If we had the same funding level as West Noble (or the state average), we would increase our General Fund by over $1,000,000 per year. The funding level of the top school district on the Ft. Wayne area list, Wabash City, would provide Wawasee with over $4,500,000 each year in additional General Funds to provide and support instruction. Being near the bottom of the funding list means that Wawasee has to work harder to provide the best possible instruction for our children on a limited budget.
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6 comments:
Can you explain why we are so near the bottom of the funding level?
I was wondering the same thing. I don't understand how the state decides funding could you explain? Thank you
Control of per pupil funding was set back in 1973 with a state property tax freeze. Levels of allowable funding for school districts established at that time have continued to today. Districts with low General Fund tax rates over 30 years ago, when rates were frozen, continue to be near the bottom end in funding. Those well off at the time of the freeze have kept their elevated funding levels. The Legislature is trying to support about 300 districts with various needs. It's a tough call on which districts get the most resources.
So in essence, its easier for the state to decide who should recieve better funding for the students of this state by this determining factor to allow which districts recieve said funding of higher, better ammounts and in theory provide for them more rescources and better educations then the more lower funded schools? Or am i greatly mistaken on this thought? It would seem though that the size of the schools/district may also play a part.
How does this play in getting full day kindergarden? I know some schools charge a weekely fee for all day. Whitko has had the all day option for sometime. I have called the schools and no one knows if and when Wawasee might become full day. I am a mom of 4 and feel we need all day to give our children a boost in learning. I would prefer our youngest 2 go to wawasee but we are looking into the local christan school because of the full day program.
We will be studying full-day kindergarten for Wawasee. There is no timeline if we should go that direction. Including full-day kindergarten would mean dropping some other programs, so we would need to weigh the benefits of everything in total.
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