Post by Logan on Jan 16, 2016 4:26:20 GMT -6
Some say recommended changes to R.I. school funding formula don't go far enough
PROVIDENCE — Governor Raimondo's funding formula committee did the best it could under a tight deadline and a charge not to add more state aid to schools under the formula, policy makers say.
"It was a monumental task to begin with," said Rep. Gregg Amore, D-East Providence. "The recommendations are helpful. I was most encouraged by the fact that the House Study Commission [chaired last year by Rep. Jeremiah O'Grady, D-Lincoln] was vindicated by the governor's working group. They identified the same costs for districts as we did. We used the same data and the work group [came] up with the same conclusions."
Raimondo's committee identified certain costs borne by traditional districts, such as high-cost special education students, career and technical students and retiree health benefits, that charters don't have. Yet, charters get a share of that per-pupil tuition because the money follows the child.
The governor's committee released its recommendations on Thursday, which called for more support for English-language learners, more money, in the form of categorical aid, for high-cost special education students and an acknowledgement that the funding formula should be revised given the separate expenses carried by traditional schools versus charter schools.
Continue reading at www.providencejournal.com/article/20160115/NEWS/160119370 .
PROVIDENCE — Governor Raimondo's funding formula committee did the best it could under a tight deadline and a charge not to add more state aid to schools under the formula, policy makers say.
"It was a monumental task to begin with," said Rep. Gregg Amore, D-East Providence. "The recommendations are helpful. I was most encouraged by the fact that the House Study Commission [chaired last year by Rep. Jeremiah O'Grady, D-Lincoln] was vindicated by the governor's working group. They identified the same costs for districts as we did. We used the same data and the work group [came] up with the same conclusions."
Raimondo's committee identified certain costs borne by traditional districts, such as high-cost special education students, career and technical students and retiree health benefits, that charters don't have. Yet, charters get a share of that per-pupil tuition because the money follows the child.
The governor's committee released its recommendations on Thursday, which called for more support for English-language learners, more money, in the form of categorical aid, for high-cost special education students and an acknowledgement that the funding formula should be revised given the separate expenses carried by traditional schools versus charter schools.
Continue reading at www.providencejournal.com/article/20160115/NEWS/160119370 .