Bill Description: Senate Bill 1096 alters part of the existing K-12 funding formula to replace the current calculation based on support units with a weighted per-student funding formula based primarily on average daily attendance and student characteristics.
Rating: -2
Does it increase government spending (for objectionable purposes) or debt? Conversely, does it decrease government spending or debt?
The fiscal note for Senate Bill 1096 states that it “does not change (the) general fund appropriation.” However, the Legislative Budget Book indicates that the Superintendent of Public Instruction is requesting “a net increase of $27,117,500 from all budget enhancement requests, to fund a weighted student formula proposal.” Any funding formula reform should prioritize improving efficiency and frugality, not growing an already over bloated K-12 budget. If this request is any indication of the long term fiscal effects of this reform, it could result in more objectionable increases to Idaho’s K-12 education budget.
(-1)
Does it violate the principle of equal protection under the law? Examples include laws that discriminate or differentiate based on age, gender, or religion or which apply laws, regulations, rules, or penalties differently based on such characteristics. Conversely, does it restore or protect the principle of equal protection under the law?
Senate Bill 1096 adjusts the funding formula to give weighted distributions to students that meet certain criteria. These weighted metrics include:
While students that meet some of the characteristics necessarily incur additional educational costs, such as special education students, not all of these characteristics justify additional funding. For instance, it is objectionable whether a gifted and talented or economically disadvantaged student deserves more funding than an average student. As it stands, this formula would focus school resources towards the poles, in exchange for diminishing the resources used to support the vast majority of students. A more just funding formula would disperse resources uniformly with only a few exceptions for extraordinary cases.
(-1)
Does it expand the government's bureaucratic monopoly on education, reduce family and student choice, or finance education based on an institution or system? Conversely, does it reduce government coercion in education, expand education choice, or finance education based on the student rather than the institution?
Senate Bill 1096 changes part of the funding formula from calculating funds based on support units to employing a weighted per-student funding formula based primarily on average daily attendance. Despite this change, it cannot be said to truly “finance education based on the student” since no amount of funds follows students who choose to leave the public education system.
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