Reply to Petition to Restore Wilson High School Funding

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Reply to "Petition to Restore Wilson High School Funding"

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[quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]
Thanks for raising this, Jeff.

I don't understand this language in the petition:

"DCPS receives $11,580 in foundation funding -- before additional funding for at risk, special education and English language learners -- for each student at Wilson but proposed to pass only approximately $6,000 in such foundation funding per student to Wilson."

Can you explain? Is DCPS diverting foundation funding from Wilson, in other words "stealing" the difference between $11,580 and the $8,307 you point out?[/quote]

Here is the explanation that I was provided:

The way DCPS budgeting works is complex.  They get dollars from the city based on kids and their characteristics under the Uniform Per Pupil Funding Formula ("UPSFF").  They then distribute the dollars to schools based on a staffing model.  The UPSFF gives DCPS and all Local Education Agencies ("LEAs") $11,580 per high school student as foundation funding.  They get additional dollars for SPED, ELL, At Risk and Title students.  The $11,580 for high school students is higher than for Middle School and Elementary School students, though pre-k with small class sizes is likely as high.  The concept is one must provide more kinds of things to high school students at that stage of their education.  The staffing model though tends to flip the priorities so the comprehensive high schools tend to get the least.  So, yes, in a sense Wilson (and other comprehensive high schools) are subsidizing other schools in the DCPS system.  That said, NOBODY in the Wilson community would want to see any other school's budget reduced and it would not take a ton to make Wilson whole. The city needs to find a way to keep all schools whole and make Wilson whole.

See here for an explanation of the UPSFF from last year:

http://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Frequently%20Asked%20Questions%20Proposed%20FY15%20UPSFF%20with%20appendices.pdf

[/quote]

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