So for now, Seattle's weighted student formula is a powerful idea, but without enough money to make it work.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser's (D) administration took a step toward equality when it announced that new funds for DCPS teacher salaries would be distributed through the per-student formula, ensuring that charter students were not disadvantaged by the city's new contract with the Washington Teachers Unionn.
Called the "weighted student formula," its goal would be to allocate more funding to students most in need.
Ron Bennett, of School Services of California, which advises school districts on the state budget, said he expects the governor to unveil a "kinder and gentler student formula".
The impact on the school district is nothing because allocating revenues to the school district is based on a state per-student formula.
When Gov. Jerry Brown reveals his proposed state budget next month, he is expected to pursue a new school funding model known as the weighted student formula.
My budget proposes to replace categorical programs with a new weighted student formula that provides a basic level of funding with additional money for disadvantaged students and those struggling to learn English.
It differed from the previous Republican proposals in several provisions, particularly increasing the K-12 per-student formula by $50 per year to cover additional borrowing costs, adding $10 million to the University of Minnesota budget to equalize Minnesota State Colleges and Universities cuts, and restoring funding to the Department of Human Rights and the Trade Office.
Officials in rural states, for instance, have criticized administration proposals to distribute more federal money to school districts based on competitive grants rather than through per-student formulas, noting that the last thing tiny rural school systems have is staff members with the experience or time to write grant proposals.
But so far it has overlooked the merits of revising the state student-aid formula, which has failed to keep up with changes in student demographics.
"We need a serious, state-wide student funding formula," Nutter said.
