As legislators consider reforming the school funding model in 2015, some local superintendents warn that equal funding is not the same as fair funding.
House Republicans have said they’d like to reform the model to make funding more equitable. But some educators say a certain amount of inequity is necessary, especially when it comes to serving low-income students.
Schools receive money from the state on a per pupil basis, based on a variety of factors that include the number of students earning honors diplomas and how many are in special education, career and technical education and full-day kindergarten. Before any of those aspects of the funding formula are taken into account, the complexity index provides additional funding for schools based on the percentage of their student body considered low-income.
| Corporation | Complexity index | Complexity funding | $ per pupil, with complexity index |
|---|
| Kokomo |
0.3586 |
$1,638.44 |
$6,207.44 |
| Peru |
0.3037 |
$1,387.61 |
$5,956.61 |
| Maconaquah |
0.2739 |
$1,251.45 |
$5,820.45 |
| Taylor |
0.2626 |
$1,199.82 |
$5,768.82 |
| Tri-Central |
0.1962 |
$896.44 |
$5,465.44 |
| Tipton |
0.1776 |
$811.45 |
$5,380.45 |
| Eastern |
0.1559 |
$712.31 |
$5,281.31 |
| Western |
0.1518 |
$693.57 |
$5,262.57 |
| Northwestern |
0.1369 |
$625.50 |
$5,194.50 |
The complexity index accounts for a gap of more than $1,000 per student among schools in Howard, Miami and Tipton counties. Kokomo Schools’ complexity index equates to an extra $1,648 per student in 2014 – the highest in the area – compared to Northwestern School Corp., which receives an extra $625.50 per student based on its complexity index.
Northwestern Superintendent Ryan Snoddy recognizes that additional resources are needed to educate low-income students, but he said other sub-groups of students also could use more financial support.
“It also takes more money to educate high-ability students,” he said. “To me, when you start looking at individual sub-groups, you’re taking a stab at what’s going to make the biggest difference.”
He would rather see more money added to the foundation amount schools receive from the state.
“I think we need to start with the foundation,” Snoddy added. “They need to give us enough in the foundation grant to do what needs to be done.”
A 2 percent increase to the foundation allowance is part of the funding formula reform House Republicans are discussing. They also are considering adding more performance-based grants, and making the complexity index a smaller factor in the equation in an effort to equalize the amount per pupil schools receive.
Kokomo Schools Superintendent Jeff Hauswald said putting less weight on the complexity index would be like a Twilight Zone version of Robin Hood, where the state robs the poor to give to the rich.
“You’re looking at a rule that is going to take money from high-poverty districts to districts with lower levels of poverty. In many cases, this will take money from lower-performing schools that most need the assistance,” Hauswald said, noting the relationship between high poverty rates and lower student performance. “There may be unintended consequences to these changes that would be discriminatory in nature. It makes no sense to me to reduce money from lower-performing schools with fewer resources and give it to higher-performing schools.”
Hauswald said he would be in favor of an increase to the foundation allowance, as long as the complexity index is maintained at its current level.
“You should not do that at the expense of districts that are more diverse,” he said.
All Indiana schools are held to the same performance benchmarks in regard to their ISTEP and ECA pass rates, graduation rates and students’ career- and college-readiness. However, each student body has unique abilities and needs, which may require different resources to get all students to that same level of performance.
“Students and districts, based on their economic status, need different resources to meet the same goals,” Hauswald said.
The extra funding for schools with a high percentage of low-income students goes to hiring additional social workers, nursing staff, attendance officers, school resources officers, graduation facilitator and implementing remediation and early education programs, Hauswald said.
“Every district needs those, but it’s proven time and again that schools with a greater number of economically disadvantaged students have a greater need,” he added.
Maconaquah School Corp. Superintendent Doug Arnold agrees that low-income students have different educational needs, and he said the extra funding based on the complexity index helps Maconaquah hire more staff to support those students. Maconaquah receives an extra $1,251 per student from its complexity index.
“What we tend to find is students who live in poverty bring challenges to school, and we need to meet their needs,” Arnold said. “The state basically is acknowledging those challenges [through the complexity index].”
Arnold plans to send a letter to legislators reminding them how important the per-pupil funding is to serving low-income students.