From the Department of Public Instruction: “DPI today posted state general school aids school districts will receive during the current school year. The information published includes certified general school aid amounts for each school district, as well as 2020-21 student enrollment numbers for independent charter schools and private schools participating in state parental choice programs. For more information, and for a full news release on the certified general aid amounts, visit https://dpi.wi.gov/news/releases/2020/dpi-releases-numbers-2020-21-general-school-aids.
“The DPI today also published information on fall student counts and school district revenue limits for the 2020-2021 school year. For more information on fall student counts and revenue limits, and for a full news release, visit https://dpi.wi.gov/news/releases/2020/dpi-releases-fall-student-count-and-revenue-limit-information.”
Editor’s Note: The figures released today show that student headcounts are down statewide by about 3 percent, while student membership (measured in FTE) is down about 3.9 percent. Student membership numbers are important because they are used to calculate revenue limits and per pupil aid allocations, among other things. Membership differs from headcounts in that it includes things like summer school enrollment, which was down by 57 percent due to COVID. The decrease in summer school enrollment reduced overall FTE membership by about 1.2 percent statewide. Decreases in Third Friday in September counts accounted for the remaining 2.7 percent of the drop statewide in statewide FTE membership. Of course, the impact of the pandemic on each district’s enrollment figures will vary. In turn, the financial impacts on each district caused by the change in enrollment counts will also vary.
Clearly, decreases in enrollment and FTE membership are widespread among districts. According to the figures released today by the DPI, 78 percent of school districts experienced a decline in enrollment this year as compared with about 62 percent of districts last year (the 2019-20 school year). Notably, the figures released today show a significant decrease in 4K and 5K enrollment. We expect these students will return to school when the pandemic subsides.
Fluctuations in the fall student (Third Friday in September) counts used in determining membership will have lasting impacts on school district revenue limits and per pupil aid. For that reason, and as we reported in a previous blog post, the WASB and other K-12 public school lobbying organizations have asked lawmakers to consider holding districts harmless for the one-time impacts of a pandemic that is out of their control (see WASB’s letter). Because of the complexity of the revenue limit formula, the full extent of these impacts will not be known until school districts set their levies, which must occur by Nov. 1. Districts must certify their levies to the DPI by Nov. 10. School leaders who are concerned about the impacts on their districts must be prepared to talk to their legislators about this issue. Stay tuned for more information on this topic.
Read more: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel coverage; Wisconsin State Journal coverage
