Choice and charter funding formula still uncertain
The adjustments to a charter school funding formula that touched off a furor last weekend aren't changing – for now.
Since the Department of Education sent bills last month to school districts based on the modified formula – which would mean a swing of millions of dollars more going to charter and choice schools in some cases – it has changed course on sticking to the changes more than once.
The department first said on Monday that it would abandon the changes for this school year after hearing backlash from public school supporters. Then, later in the week, it said that it might still enforce the new formula for this school year.
It is now uncertain what the final decision for this year will be. State law says that the department must certify the bills by Sept. 1.
Because it sent out the bills in August, the department met the Sept. 1 deadline, said spokeswoman Alison May, and the law doesn't preclude the education department from making adjustments after they are sent out.
The department could now make adjustments and apply the formula under the old system, apply it with the changes made this summer, or apply it with as-yet-undetermined modifications, May said.
Department officials are in discussions with district and charter leaders about how the formula will be applied for this school year, she said.
Charter school advocates have long lobbied the state to re-examine the application of the formula used to calculate how much public school districts have to pay charter and choice schools for each student that opts for alternative education.
Setting that "per student" cost can get complicated, because some income – like a donation for a particular project or program – is excluded from the total amount of the district's funds because it is earmarked for specific uses rather than being part of the regular operating budget.
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That ability to exclude some pockets of income has led to an inconsistent system across the state, with some districts withholding millions of dollars from their budgets and others withholding thousands.
In order to try to unify the system, the department began considering adjustments to the formula in April, when it asked districts across the state for an inventory of the exclusions they claim.
It followed up with a notice to districts on Aug. 8 with a list of allowable exclusions. Included in it were things like: fee-based programs, adult education and rentals.
For almost all districts, that meant that they were able to hold back less money this year than last year – in some cases, significantly less.
That means that the amount they have to pay out to choice and charter schools is higher.
Shortly after that, the department sent out the bills to each district.
Now the school year is underway in most areas, and charter and choice schools don't know how much they'll be getting from districts and districts don't know how much they'll have to pay.
Contact Saranac Hale Spencer at (302) 324-2909, sspencer@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @SSpencerTNJ.