Funding Student Success – Meeting #2 – Update

I attended the Funding Student Success meeting on September 22 at Baltz Elementary School from 2:00 to 4:00. There were about 4 community members present. I have concerns about the timeline placed on this committee. They have three meetings left and I am not sure how they are going to come up with recommendations. The next funding meeting is October 6 at Baltz Elementary School.

• Overview of State Funding Impacts since Fiscal Year 2008
• State’s education budget has grown over the years due to more kids attending public schools
• House Bill 30 and 117 were endorsed in WEIC Final Report
  • House Bill 117 – new funding source for low income students. The committee is not recommending this bill as written. They would like to see a low income bill structured like needs based funding.
  • House Bill 30 – committee recommended this bill as written.
• Committee asked the University of Delaware to look at other states who use weighted formula to fund low income and ELL students.
• Committee discussed multi enrollment counts

Wilmington Education Improvement Commission – Funding Student Success Committee Met Yesterday

Wilmington Education Commission Improvement website

Yesterday, I attended the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission – Funding Student Success at William Penn High School – 2:00 to 4:00. Mike Jackson (Deputy Controller General) and Jill Floore (Red Clay School District Chief Financial Officer) are the co-chairs of the committee, they went over the discussion/possible proposed action items.

Mike Jackson and Jill Floore  are financial folks and I am grateful that they are co-chairing this committee. I am concerned about the timeline to have a plan in place by the end of October, which is only 6 weeks away, but I will wait and see what happens at the next few meetings. The quick timeline is due to the timing of when the final report must be presented to the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission and the State Board of Education. I just want to point out that many of the members of this committee have backgrounds in school finances.

Discussion Items/Possible Proposed Action Items:

• Funding Low Income Students (House Bill 117)
• Funding Kindergarten – 3rd grade Basic Special Education (House Bill 30)
  • I asked if funding for English Language Learners could/would be added to the prosed action items?
• Weighted Student Funding
• Multiple Enrollment Unit Counts
• Property Reassessment
• Tax Rates
• Funding – shifting population between districts
• Staffing impact on each district
• Facilities needs assessment (example new middle or high school, condition of existing building, etc.)
• City of Wilmington – Office of Education and Public Policy
• Early Childhood Learning
  • Meeting the Needs of Students in Poverty Committee will look at this as well.
  • Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge Grant – the grant is done, how are we going to fund early learning?
• College Access
• IRMC – Interagency Resource Management Committee
  • The next meeting of the IRMC is December 2, 2015.
  • IRMC’s Mission – Promote the development of a comprehensive and coordinated early childhood system, birth to eight, which provides the highest quality services and environment for Delaware’s children and their families.
• Look at equity in choice.
  • I would suggest looking at transportation as well.

The next Student Funding Success meeting will be September 22nd 3:00 to 5:00 at Baltz Elementary School.