March 20, 2009
Editorial from the Carroll County Times
A bill proposed by Del. Nancy Stocksdale, R-District 5A, which would alter the way the state calculates per-pupil school funding, is a good idea that would save the state money and at the same time provide incentives for schools to reduce dropout rates.
As it stands, the state uses the number of students in school on Sept. 30 as the basis for per-pupil funding. Stocksdale’s bill would require the state to compile the Sept. 30 and April 15 attendance figures and then use the average. School attendance fluctuates over the course of the school year. Stocksdale says her plan would provide a more accurate accounting of school attendance.
The department of Legislative Services apparently agrees. A fiscal analysis performed by the department indicates the state could save about $181 million in fiscal year 2011.
The bill, unfortunately, likely won’t go far. Stocksdale introduced a similar bill last year. But despite their hand-wringing and cries of budget deficits and wasteful spending, most elected officials aren’t keen on taking money away from their districts, especially if it is in the form of education funding.
But making sure that tax money is being used wisely, and effectively, is something our lawmakers should focus on when they go to Annapolis. And Stocksdale’s bill provides a more accurate formula for determining school funding, something that should be the goal of every elected official as the state continues to wrestle with deficits.
An added bonus, as Stocksdale notes, is that the change would prompt schools to do more to reduce their dropout rates, a major source of the attendance fluctuations between the start and end of the school year.
School funding is a major concern for most systems. But funding should be based on the most accurate numbers possible to ensure that state tax dollars are being used most effectively. Stocksdale’s bill does that, and it is something that deserves a hard look from state lawmakers.
