Assuming that the school itself does not start in the 4th grade, those students would be eligible for a poverty weight.

Students enrolled at schools that begin before grade 4 (e.g., all K–5, K–8, and K-12 schools) qualify for the poverty weight if they also qualify for free lunch and/or receive public assistance, according to data provided by New York City’s Human Resources Administration. These are also the criteria for Title I eligibility. These students will continue to receive the poverty weight after elementary school as long as they meet the eligiblity criteria. We do not use achievement data because we do not want perverse incentives.

Students attending these schools will continue to be eligible for additional funding through a portfolio weight for high schools. Categories for the 2007-08 school year are: Career and Technical Education (21 schools); Specialized Academic (10 schools); Specialized Audition (6 schools); Transfer (30 schools). For more specific information on which high schools are eligible for portfolio weights, please consult the relevant pages on this website (Key Elements - New Formula (Weights)) or the Fair Student Funding Resource Guide.

In general, facilities and maintenance will continue to be funded outside Fair Student Funding. We considered accounting for annexes but there are too many unique circumstances for a blanket policy. Nonetheless, we will consider extraordinary circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

We have moved toward charging actual salaries for two reasons: First, it will create more equity. A school with many novice teachers will not end up being underfunded when compared to schools with many senior teachers. They will have leftover dollars to spend on new programs and materials, lowering class size, or professional development for teachers, among other options. Second, it will lead to a better use of resources because principals will decide how to spend money to improve student achievement. For example, a principal might hire additional teachers to reduce class size or create mentorship opportunities by mixing junior and senior teachers. Previously, principals could not make those choices when they had a fixed number of positions. In the new system, principals will be able to make smart choices about the mix of employees on their budgets, just as other managers do. What will matter will be the educational bottom line: how to improve student achievement.

Students were designated for this weight based on their eligibility for free lunch and on public assistance data provided by New York City’s Human Resources Administration.

We examined achievement data in New York City and found a significantly higher correlation between free-lunch status and low achievement than between reduced-lunch status and low achievement.

Title I serves only schools with poverty rates above a specified level. Schools falling beneath that cutoff receive no Title I funding. While Title I thus addresses the particular needs of schools with high concentrations of poverty, the FSF poverty weight serves the different purpose of providing additional funds for children based on their individual status and regardless of poverty concentration. An elementary school with a 40 percent poverty rate receives no Title I funding, but receives poverty weights for 40 percent of its students.

We have a higher ELL weight as students get older for two reasons. First, as students age, they are required by the State to receive additional periods of specialized education. Second, it is more developmentally difficult for older students to master a new language. Given these conditions, it costs more to educate older ELLs than younger ones. Our weights reflect that reality.

Transportation, meals, maintenance, and capital projects are among the budget categories that are funded outside of Fair Student Funding. Central continues to manage data, to assess schools, to recruit and train staff, and to hold Principals accountable for student achievement. Additionally, District 75 is not be funded through Fair Student Funding and we continue to centrally fund certain high-priority local initiatives like the Parent Coordinator program.