“Supporting student achievement is our highest priority. A transparent, consistent education funding formula will allow

us to ensure that student achievement remains the top priority for our state and for every school district,” Commissioner Gist said. “We are confident that this funding formula will take us from being the only state without a funding formula to being

the state with the best funding formula in the country.”

RIDE Press Release, February 26, 2010

The Best Funding Formula in the Country: What’s

Not To Love?

Samuel D. Zurier, Esq.

Impact on PawtucketExpenditure

Per Student*

2009-10 Actual

2010-11

Actual

2011-12

RIDE Formula

2016-20

RIDE Formula

2007 Funding Formula

2009-10

State Avg.

State Funds $7,510 $7,207 $7,452 $8,672 $12,641

Local Funds**

$3,238 $3,292 $3,323 $3,692 $2,449

Total State + Local

$10,748 $10,499 $10,785 $12,364 $15,090 $13,600

(Excludes Federal funds) *Assuming average daily attendance of 2009**Approximation, assuming 2% annual increases.

Impact on WoonsocketExpenditure

Per Student

2009-10 Actual

2010-11

State Budget

2011-12

RIDE Formula

2016-20

RIDE Formula

2007 Funding Formula

2009-10

State Avg.

State Funds $7,781 $7,401 $7,558 $8,524 $13,509

Local Funds**

$2,284 $2,330 $2,376 $2,614 $1,722

Total State + Local

$10,065 $9,815 $9,934 $11,138 $15,231 $13,600

(Excludes Federal funds) *Assuming average daily attendance of 2009**Approximation, assuming 2% annual increases.

State’s Contribution to Overall Cost

*This is the 3rd lowest State share in the countrySource: National Education Association: Rankings and Estimates, 2011-12

*The 2007 Formula called for a 44% State/56% local split

Federal State Local

USA Average 11.3% 47.5% 44.1%

Massachusetts

7.6% 41.0% 47.2%

Rhode Island 12.4% 28.8% 60.6%

2007 Funding Formula

12.4%* 38.5%* 49.1%*

Foundation Amount

RIDE Formula Core Instructional Amount: $8,333 per student

2007 General Assembly Formula Core

Foundation Amount:

$10,600 per student

The $8,295 “Market Basket” from

Hunger: The State NormItem R.I. Average

Instruction $7,000

InstructionalSupport

$2,239

Leadership $766

Operations $2,054

Other Commitments

$1,621

Total $13,660

English Language Learners

Number of States funding ELL Programs at State Level: 37

Rhode Island’s rank for Latino children in Math on NAEP Tests:50th out of 50

Cost to Fund: $12 Million

Providence Journal Op-Ed, June 2, 2010

FOLLOW THE MONEY:

Community EWAV Aid (indicated state share)

Formula Aid Children in Poverty

Formula Aid per Child in Poverty

JAMESTOWN $0(-112%)

$205,291 40 $5,132

LITTLE COMPTON $0(159.2%)

$126,870 29 $4,375

NARRAGANSETT $0(-107.7%)

$1,607,955 200 $8.040

NEW SHOREHAM $0(-835.4%)

$113,977 17 $6,704

NEWPORT $0(-39.9%)

$9,186,000 1,185 $7,752

TOTAL $0 $11,240,092 $1,471 $7,641

Communities that are the biggest winners under the RIDE Formula

Who Pays?

Community Woonsocket Pawtucket

State Aid under “Quadratic Mean”

$50.2 $71.9

State Aid under Simple EWAV

$53.6 $73.4

Difference ($3.4) ($1.5)

All figures in millions of dollars.

Local Taxpayers Already Pay Their

Fair ShareCommunity 2007-08

TaxCapacity

2007-08TaxEffort

EquityIndex

Pawtucket 38 160 .24

Woonsocket 30 180 .17

State 100 100 1.0

Newport 160 75 2.1

Narragansett 260 48 5.4

MunicipalityTax Capacity Tax Effort

Providence 31.99 266.69

Central Falls 14.18 227.04

Woonsocket 27.95 218.75

Pawtucket 32.14 199.99

Newport 195.41 62.52

Westerly 223.38 61.82

Portsmouth 217.32 57.84

Narragansett 257.28 53.3

Charlestown 298.42 44.52

J amestown 384.86 43.61

New Shoreham 1670.44 22.17

Little Compton 648.51 21.52

2010 Update*

Source: Rhode Island’s Future

How to Improve the “Best Funding Formula in the Country”