>
> I'm sorry, but I don't follow the logic here. If
> the per-student Title I allocation is $565, and the
> money is allocated on a per-student basis, then why
> on earth would you want to cap the amoputn at $480?
> What are you proposing to do with the other $85 per
> student? Is the amount of money fixed so that you can't
> cover all Title I students adequately because of the
> increased cap?
If we have to spend more per student, then fewer schools will get TITLE 1
money because the entire amount is used up faster. We got about $15 million
in 2001. We start with the highest poverty schools and for each child
eligible the school received $480. The amount of money ran out when we got
to 50% poverty in the school. We will receive slightly more for the next
year, about $18 million. We are required to pay out a huge sum to one high
school and because of the high number of kids in that particular school, the
pay out is much larger than any other school. We are also required to pay
out 20% on supplemental programs for after school and transportation to and
from those programs in our schools. Therefore, the amount of money runs out
and fewer schools will be able to receive money. When it's gone it's gone.
If we receive slightly more but are more limited in how we allocate that
money, we have, as a district, less control over where those dollars go. So
in effect, the state and federal governments, remote from Minneapolis, are
actually deciding through their micro management of school money, exactly
where it goes. When we have schools that are starved for funds due to
dropping enrollment and a lower amount of kids who are eligible, there is
little the district can do to send additional dollars to that school.
Education finance is complex. That is why it is so very important to have
legislators who comprehend the system, both state and federal, and
understand the relationship of the state department of CFL and how it's
management and rule making, which implements the state and federal
regulations, interacts with the school districts.
Audrey Johnson
MPS School Board Member & Candidate for re-election
LHE
>
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