Plunge in Low Income Student Funding

[Rich Gibson <rgibson@pipeline.com>]

<http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2007/12/11/this_just_in/646lowincome121007.txt>Plunge 
in Low-Income Student Funds




<http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/multimedia/blogemail.php?email=/articles/2007/12/11/this_just_in/646lowincome121007.txt>
[]

<http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/multimedia/blogemail.php?email=/articles/2007/12/11/this_just_in/646lowincome121007.txt>

 E-MAIL POST


Federal funds for low-income students are likely dropping, just as 
San Diego Unified plans to enroll more low-income kids.

That adds up to less dollars per student when kids go back to school 
next fall -- at least 17 percent less, according to a report prepared 
by district staff.

School districts receive federal Title 1 funds to help disadvantaged 
students make the grade. High-poverty schools and districts get 
higher sums. And San Diego Unified gives high-poverty schools more 
money per student than low-poverty schools, using a three-tiered formula.

This year, schools with more than 85 percent low-income students got 
$472 per student; schools with between 60 and 84 percent low-income 
students got $270 per student, and schools with between 40 and 59 
percent low-income students got $140 per student. Under the national 
No Child Left Behind law, schools with less than 40 percent 
low-income students are not eligible for the funding.

In San Diego, school district staff is projecting a 5 percent drop in 
Title 1 funding for school year 2008-2009, cutting total funding to 
$43.5 million. At the same time, the district expects 1,200 more 
low-income students to enroll in San Diego Unified schools, squeezing 
the already-reduced funds. So the amount per student is projected to 
drop at least 17 percent.

Title 1 money also pays for bussing kids at low-scoring schools to 
tutoring programs, and to other schools if they opt out of their 
neighborhood school.
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/this_just_in/#blurb1



-- <mailto:emily.alpert@voiceofsandiego.org>EMILY ALPERT




Monday, December 10 -- 6:42 pm