Realizing that the community is starting to figure things out, the district is looking for new places to stash money, which only leads to raising your property taxes higher than need be. This money is not being used to fund educational initiatives, the district has already rejected that idea unless they are allowed to raise the tax levy increase above 3.5%. So what will the stashed cash be used for? Technological toys? Candy?The latest place to focus on is the line item #382 for "Inter-district Payments". This is largely the place where open enrollments fall. What makes it tricky though (harder to follow) is that Open Enrollment is a double-edged sword. One has to consider TWO budget line items: one for revenue (students transferring INTO SPASD) and then expenses (students transferring OUT of SPASD).
How much State Aid Do We Receive/Lose Per "Open-Enrolled" Student?
There's no math here. No figuring out cost per student or anything like that. DPI simply sets an amount regardless of whether a student transfers in or out.
DPI Open enrollment funding memo January 2011
This year, 2011-12, open enrollment transfer amount = $6,948 (estimate) per transfer (in/out).
Last year, 2010-11, the per student open enrollment transfer amount = $6,665 (final).
What is the 2011-12 Open Enrollment Situation?
Mar 21, 2011 - FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING 6:30 p.m., Chair: Jim McCourt
Subject Action on 2011-12 Open Enrollment Applications
Report prepared by: Phil Frei
 |
| We're (still) a growing district We have a brand new Taj Mah High School Last year our net OE expenses DROPPED ...and you expect us to believe we'll have a record net OE expense? HELP US UNDERSTAND! |
Each year, the District receives open enrollment applications to attend Sun Prairie Area School District (SPASD) and also to leave the District.
The District had 97 students apply to attend SPASD . This is an increase of 21 students over last year’s applicants.
The District had 150 students applying to attend other districts. This is an increase of 32 students from last year’s applicants.
Next year DeForest Area School District will start a 4K program. Since many Sun Prairie Area School District children attend pre-schools in DeForest, we received many open enrollment requests out to attend 4K programming.
So....we have 97 applying to COME IN (more revenue for us) and 150 applying to leave (more EXPENSE for us).
That's a net effect of 53 students LEAVING the district... IF they all leave (and Phil Frei says that, historically, "less than half" enter/leave.
If our estimated Open Enrollment Transfer Aid per student is $6,948 then that means we need to budget for a net EXPENSE of $368,244 more than last year...right? But we're only budgeting $317, 567 more than last year. That makes it LOOK like we're UNDER-budgeting by $50,677
But let's not forget the mantra we hear every year and was included in the 3-21-11 Situation Report:
"Typically, less than half of the students who apply for open enrollment actually attend or leave."----- Report to Finance Committee by Phil Frei 3-21-11
If the net effect is only half of what applications suggest, then it would seem that the net would be a loss of only 27 students, at a net additional expense (over 2010-11) of $187,596.
And THAT now makes it appear that there's a lot of extra money in the budget hidden in the open enrollment area.
...and THAT, people, would pay for nearly 8,000 hours of the RTI tutoring, which is needed so very much more than starting a Mandarin Chinese program.
The sum of the parts equals the whole.
Look at Open Enrollment Revenues
The district is budgeting $600,000 of "income " (Revenue side of the budget/line #345) an increase of about $185,000 or 27 new kids transferring into the district
Then look at the Open Enrollment Expenses
The district is budgeting $1,089,950 of "cost" (Expense side of the budget/line #382) an increase of about $317,567 or 46 new kids transferring OUT of the district
 |
| Does something smell rather fishy? |
For the 2011-12 budget year, the district is budgeting for a net 489,950 OUT. Last year we saw a decrease in net open enrollment cost for the first time in several years. Suppose it had anything to do with the new high school????? So why are we projecting a nearly half million dollar net loss when last year the amount was little more than $350,000. Wouldn't one suppose that the trend would go the other way?
And why tell us that "less than 50% actually follow through on their transfer requests year on and year out if we're not actually using that information in our budgeting?
Posts
