Why do parents from high FARMS school

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:On the per pupil allocation question, PP is correct that this is not true at the HS level. The fluctuation at the HS level has very little to do with FARMS rates, and everything to do with kids with special needs. Schools that host programs for kids with special needs have a higher PPA, which makes perfect sense because it's an average. Some kids are costing $50K a year to educate, if not more, and it is pulling the average up for the entire school.

https://moderatelymoco.com/mcps-per-pupil-expenditure-by-each-high-school-2020-2022/



Equity Add-On Model estimate

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G1kFSf9VoYkHUiGqqKYKW-lVPhLd0Rjf/view

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/budget/fy2026/


Thanks for sharing this tiny line item that shows Einstein got $15k more than BCC. Problem solved.


And no it's not $15k per pupil more. It's $15k total.

Everyone relax, economic and racial inequities in MCPS have been solved!


Who is claiming that racial and economic inequities are solved with this equity add-on?

And it looks like it is the same (small) amount for both schools per FARMS kid.


Well folks seem really fixated on these tiny amounts and aren't even looking at the total per pupil amount for each school, or the other needs of the populations besides poverty (EML and special ed) so I am just not sure what folks are trying to prove to themselves by repeatedly sharing these documents.


I thought originally it was that Taylor had said there was an adjustment for FARMS, etc, and someone asked what that was. And it was this “equity add-on” thing.


Yes, it was an adjustment to the instructional materials budget. Not about staffing.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:On the per pupil allocation question, PP is correct that this is not true at the HS level. The fluctuation at the HS level has very little to do with FARMS rates, and everything to do with kids with special needs. Schools that host programs for kids with special needs have a higher PPA, which makes perfect sense because it's an average. Some kids are costing $50K a year to educate, if not more, and it is pulling the average up for the entire school.

https://moderatelymoco.com/mcps-per-pupil-expenditure-by-each-high-school-2020-2022/



Equity Add-On Model estimate

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G1kFSf9VoYkHUiGqqKYKW-lVPhLd0Rjf/view

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/budget/fy2026/


Thanks for sharing this tiny line item that shows Einstein got $15k more than BCC. Problem solved.


And no it's not $15k per pupil more. It's $15k total.

Everyone relax, economic and racial inequities in MCPS have been solved!


Who is claiming that racial and economic inequities are solved with this equity add-on?

And it looks like it is the same (small) amount for both schools per FARMS kid.


Well folks seem really fixated on these tiny amounts and aren't even looking at the total per pupil amount for each school, or the other needs of the populations besides poverty (EML and special ed) so I am just not sure what folks are trying to prove to themselves by repeatedly sharing these documents.


I thought originally it was that Taylor had said there was an adjustment for FARMS, etc, and someone asked what that was. And it was this “equity add-on” thing.


Yes, it was an adjustment to the instructional materials budget. Not about staffing.

+1
And the aggregate equity allocations for all schools (all schools get one, including Whitman) is 0.07%. not 7%, 0.07% or less than one tenth of one percent. of the total FY26 operating budget. That includes the allocations for elementary and middle schools.
Anonymous
Is poolesville the wealthiest school in its region? I honestly don’t know. I am wondering if the poolesville magnet was meant to be like the Blair magnet — enticing kids to a poorly performing school so that the school’s test scores go up and it doesn’t look so bad (and so no one actually has to address the educational issues of gen pop).
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Low income students can't travel far. They have jobs and sibling care responsibilities. So if you put magnets in the high income schools, you basically siphon off highest resourced high performing students from the low income schools. The kids that are left have a very small cohort and the school can no longer sustain advanced coursework. It is truly better not to have a magnet at all
High income students already have advanced classes at their home schools.

It


I think the idea that low income high school students are working jobs to support their families is a fantasy.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Low income students can't travel far. They have jobs and sibling care responsibilities. So if you put magnets in the high income schools, you basically siphon off highest resourced high performing students from the low income schools. The kids that are left have a very small cohort and the school can no longer sustain advanced coursework. It is truly better not to have a magnet at all
High income students already have advanced classes at their home schools.

It


I think the idea that low income high school students are working jobs to support their families is a fantasy.


Some work but using work is a rich persons talking point. They are in activities, sports, jobs, internships, and all the same things other kids do. Many kids regardless of parent hhi cannot travel long distances. We have activities after school. My kids could not do an hour bus ride and make it to outside things. And, for school activities the distance makes it hard for drop off and pick up.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Low income students can't travel far. They have jobs and sibling care responsibilities. So if you put magnets in the high income schools, you basically siphon off highest resourced high performing students from the low income schools. The kids that are left have a very small cohort and the school can no longer sustain advanced coursework. It is truly better not to have a magnet at all
High income students already have advanced classes at their home schools.

It


I think the idea that low income high school students are working jobs to support their families is a fantasy.


Why do you think that? Many work in the aftercare program at our ES
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Is poolesville the wealthiest school in its region? I honestly don’t know. I am wondering if the poolesville magnet was meant to be like the Blair magnet — enticing kids to a poorly performing school so that the school’s test scores go up and it doesn’t look so bad (and so no one actually has to address the educational issues of gen pop).


Yes, it is by a large amount. Part of that may be due to the demographics of the out-of-bound magnet students, but I think by demographics of resident students it's probably the highest income as well.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is poolesville the wealthiest school in its region? I honestly don’t know. I am wondering if the poolesville magnet was meant to be like the Blair magnet — enticing kids to a poorly performing school so that the school’s test scores go up and it doesn’t look so bad (and so no one actually has to address the educational issues of gen pop).


Yes, it is by a large amount. Part of that may be due to the demographics of the out-of-bound magnet students, but I think by demographics of resident students it's probably the highest income as well.


I don't think that is true. It probably has the lowest FARMS rate but I would guess the families at Churchill and Whitman are wealthier and have higher incomes.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is poolesville the wealthiest school in its region? I honestly don’t know. I am wondering if the poolesville magnet was meant to be like the Blair magnet — enticing kids to a poorly performing school so that the school’s test scores go up and it doesn’t look so bad (and so no one actually has to address the educational issues of gen pop).


Yes, it is by a large amount. Part of that may be due to the demographics of the out-of-bound magnet students, but I think by demographics of resident students it's probably the highest income as well.


I don't think that is true. It probably has the lowest FARMS rate but I would guess the families at Churchill and Whitman are wealthier and have higher incomes.


No, it's by far the wealthiest school district in Region 6 (compared to Clarksburg, Damascus, Seneca Valley, etc.)
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is poolesville the wealthiest school in its region? I honestly don’t know. I am wondering if the poolesville magnet was meant to be like the Blair magnet — enticing kids to a poorly performing school so that the school’s test scores go up and it doesn’t look so bad (and so no one actually has to address the educational issues of gen pop).


Yes, it is by a large amount. Part of that may be due to the demographics of the out-of-bound magnet students, but I think by demographics of resident students it's probably the highest income as well.


I don't think that is true. It probably has the lowest FARMS rate but I would guess the families at Churchill and Whitman are wealthier and have higher incomes.


No, it's by far the wealthiest school district in Region 6 (compared to Clarksburg, Damascus, Seneca Valley, etc.)


My bad, missed the word region in the PP
Anonymous
I actually feel really bad for the kids and parents in the other Region 6 school. They're getting the short end of the stick the most here by far with all of the premier programs placed at Poolesville.

I know the argument is that it's a huge school in a sparsely-populated part of the county, so it needs to be filled, but.... aren't we redrawing boundaries now anyway? That seems like an excuse.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is poolesville the wealthiest school in its region? I honestly don’t know. I am wondering if the poolesville magnet was meant to be like the Blair magnet — enticing kids to a poorly performing school so that the school’s test scores go up and it doesn’t look so bad (and so no one actually has to address the educational issues of gen pop).


Yes, it is by a large amount. Part of that may be due to the demographics of the out-of-bound magnet students, but I think by demographics of resident students it's probably the highest income as well.


So what was the original idea of putting a magnet at a high income school versus a lower income one (like Blair)?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Low income students can't travel far. They have jobs and sibling care responsibilities. So if you put magnets in the high income schools, you basically siphon off highest resourced high performing students from the low income schools. The kids that are left have a very small cohort and the school can no longer sustain advanced coursework. It is truly better not to have a magnet at all
High income students already have advanced classes at their home schools.

It


I think the idea that low income high school students are working jobs to support their families is a fantasy.


How exactly can they travel to get to these jobs they have but can’t travel to get to a nearby school?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Low income students can't travel far. They have jobs and sibling care responsibilities. So if you put magnets in the high income schools, you basically siphon off highest resourced high performing students from the low income schools. The kids that are left have a very small cohort and the school can no longer sustain advanced coursework. It is truly better not to have a magnet at all
High income students already have advanced classes at their home schools.

It


I think the idea that low income high school students are working jobs to support their families is a fantasy.


How exactly can they travel to get to these jobs they have but can’t travel to get to a nearby school?


The school is not nearby, it's cross county in rush hour. And most likely they aren't working but babysitting their siblings and making them dinner while their parents work 3 shifts
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Low income students can't travel far. They have jobs and sibling care responsibilities. So if you put magnets in the high income schools, you basically siphon off highest resourced high performing students from the low income schools. The kids that are left have a very small cohort and the school can no longer sustain advanced coursework. It is truly better not to have a magnet at all
High income students already have advanced classes at their home schools.

It


I think the idea that low income high school students are working jobs to support their families is a fantasy.


Wow. DCUM privilege is showing. Low income kids have always worked to contribute to family expenses. I went to an average MCPS high school - not a W, not a "bad school" and I had friends who paid rent, or bought groceries, etc. I was a retail manager once upon a time, and even back then when incomes went further and MoCo was more affluent in general, I has employees in high school whose paycheck was relied upon to meet basic needs. Also, some of them might not work for a paycheck per se but are working in their family's business to contribute to family income.

Maybe you should actually, you know, talk to poor people?
post reply Forum Index » Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
Message Quick Reply
Go to: