As legislative sessions draw to a close, several states are revisiting how they allocate education dollars with a growing number adopting weighted formulas designed to boost per-pupil funding for specific populations, including students with special needs, from low-income households, or English Learners.
Hot Off the (Legislative) Presses
Texas: With the passage of HB2 in the House, the state is poised to change the formula for students with disabilities. Specifically, the state is now tiering the weight of special education funding to meet the “highest tier of intensity of service for which the student qualifies.” The tiers of intensity will be set by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The bill also increases schools’ base funding by $395 (automatically increasing every two years) and earmarks 40% of the increased allotment towards salaries for school staff.
Alabama: Alabama lawmakers gave final passage to the RAISE Act which changes the funding formula to include weighted allocations for specific student groups: “poverty; special education; English Language Learners; Charter school students; gifted students; and other groups as deemed necessary.”
Colorado: Since our last update, Colorado has adopted a new, weighted funding formula. The new formula, highlighted in HB1448, increases the per pupil allocation by up to 25% for at-risk populations.
Mississippi: Mississippi recently implemented a new formula of its own. The new formula considers student enrollment as opposed to attendance, and increases weighted funding for low-income students.
In addition to the states already implementing new formulas, three additional states—Idaho, North Dakota, and Vermont—are considering changes this legislative session.
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