M - Z
Minimum School Program
Descriptions
Date Revised August 21, 2008
NECESSARILY EXISTENT SMALL SCHOOLS
To assist small schools that are located in remote areas and are therefore expensive to operate. Eligibility: Districts must submit on behalf of their schools an application demonstrating that the school meets the criteria specified in law. Charter schools are not “necessarily” existent and so cannot qualify. Formula: Per WPU, which is determined by a regression formula based on prior year ADM and school grade span. Law:53A-17a-109; R277-445. Contact: Shaunna Ford . Documents: Latest Estimated Allocation (Excel); Data Source: Year End Clearinghouse Aggregate Membership (July 15).
PROFESSIONAL STAFF [detail description]
To support LEAs in recruiting and retaining highly educated and experienced educators for instructional, administrative and other types of professional employment in public schools. Example: Signing bonus, retention bonus, advertising. Formula: Per WPU, which is calculated thus: [1] Multiply the number of FTE licensed staff in each applicable experience category by the applicable weight, which is given in statute. [2] Divide the product from #1 by the number of licensed staff included in #1 and reduce the quotient by 1.00. [3] Multiply the result from #2 by one-fourth of total WPU's generated by Kindergarten, Grades 1-12, and Necessarily Existent Small School programs. Law: 53A-17a-107; R277-486. Contact: Emily Eyre. Documents:
Latest Ratios for Allocation (Excel). Data Source: CACTUS (June 30)
PUPIL TRANSPORTATION -- TO AND FROM SCHOOL [detail description]
To support the transportation of students to and from school, including the training of district transportation personnel. Formula: Proportional to the (a) time and (b) mileage of all bus routes for busing to and from school plus the cost of (c) equipment and (d) administration. Restrictions: Must be used only for transporting students to and from school who are eligible for busing based on the distance they live from a school (1.5 miles for elementary and 2.0 miles for secondary), and to pay for equipment and administrative services association with such transportation. Option: May be used to pay for "in lieu of" transportation as an alternative to busing, if a district chooses not run its own service. Law: 53A-17a-126, 127; R277-600, 601. Contact & Data: Murrell.Martin.
QUALITY TEACHING (Block Grant)
To implement comprehensive long term professional development plans in both schools and districts; the plans must be approved by the local school board, and each individual school plan must be consistent with the district plan. Example: Professional Development, tuition reimbursement. Formula: Proportional to prior year Regular Basic Program WPU's (70%) and prior year licensed teacher FTE (30%). Restrictions: Cannot be used to hire additional staff, to maintain current staffing levels, or to cover administrative costs. Distribution: One lump sum at beginning of year. Law: : 53A-17a-124, R277-478. Contact: Cathy Dudley . Data: WPU's -- automatically determined by allocation process; FTE's -- CACTUS (June 30).
READING ACHEIVEMENT -- STATE
To achieve the state’s goal of having third graders reading at or above grade level. Within the Reading Achievement program there is created three funding programs: Base Level, Guarantee Program, and Low Income Students Program. The District or Charter must submit a State Board approved plan for reading proficiency improvement prior to using program funds. Formula: Base Level – Base amount based on fall enrollment. Guarantee Program - $21 per WPU minus the amount raised by a required tax levy of .000056. Low Income Program - $21 per WPU minus the amount raised by a required tax levy of .000065. Law:
53A-17a-150 Contact: Cathy Dudley
SCHOOL LAND TRUST ACCOUNT
To address critical academic needs in each school in accordance with a plan developed by the school community council and approved by the local school board. Revenue: Interest and dividends from the State School Trust Fund. Example: May only be used for things listed in a board. Formula: 10% base and the remaining 90% proportional to prior year fall enrollment. Distribution: One lump sum at beginning of fiscal year. Law: 53A-17a-131.17; R277-477. Contact: Margaret Bird. Web: http://www.schoollandtrust.org. Data: Fall Enrollment audit report (November 1).
SCHOOL NURSES
On going appropriation, subject to budget constraints, to provide matching funds to school districts and charter schools. Districts will submit grant proposals including explanation of how they will match the funds. Formula: Awarded by grant. Law: HB 160 Lines 314-321 Contact: Dawn Kay
SOCIAL SECURITY AND RETIREMENT
To compensate districts for Social Security and retirement costs associated with the Basic Program, that is, with all programs that are allocated according to WPU's. Formula: Proportional to total current year WPU's Law: 53A-17a-125. Contact: Cathy Dudley . Data: Automatically determined by allocation process.
SPECIAL EDUCATION -- ADD ON
To provide educational services for students with disabilities as required by federal law. Example: Special Ed personnel, texts, supplies. Formula: Per WPU, which is the greater of the average of Special Education (Self Contained and Resource) ADM over the previous 5 years (which establishes the "foundation" below which the current year WPU can never fall) or prior year Special Education ADM plus weighted growth in Special Education ADM. Weighted growth is determined by multiplying Special Education ADM from two years prior by the percentage difference between Special Education ADM two years prior and Special Education ADM for the year prior to that, subject to two constraints: the Special Education ADM values used in calculating the difference cannot exceed the “prevalence” limit of 12.18% of total district ADM for their respective years; and if this measure of growth in Special Education exceeds current year growth in Fall Enrollment, growth in Special Education is set equal to growth in Fall Enrollment. Finally, growth is multiplied by a factor of 1.53. This weight is intended to account for the additional cost of educating a special education student; it is not, however, based specifically on an empirical analysis of the cost of special education relative to "regular" education in Utah. Note: This formula is new for FY 2004 and will be phased in through FY 2006 by applying a special hold harmless provision to districts whose foundation level is adjusted downward by it. Law: 53A-15-301, 302, 303, 303.5, 304, 305, 53A-17a-111; R277-750. Contact: Sandra Cox . Data: Membership audit report (September 1); Fall Enrollment audit report (November 1).
SPECIAL EDUCATION -- EXTENDED YEAR FOR SEVERELY DISABLED
To provide a longer school year for those students with disabilities whose regression over school breaks is so severe that an inordinate amount of time is necessary to recoup previous learning. Formula: Per WPU, which is derived from aggregate hours of extended year educational service. Law: 53A-17a-112; R277-750, 751. Contact: Karl Wilson. Data: Special survey administered by Sandra Cox (September 1; revised survey for Summer 2004 due October 15).
SPECIAL EDUCATION -- PRESCHOOL
To provide preschool educational services for children with disabilities from ages 3 through 5 as required by federal law. Formula: Per WPU, which equals special education preschool enrollment (aged 3 through 5 excluding 5-year-old special education students enrolled in Kindergarten) as of December 1 multiplied by 1.46. Overall state growth in this program cannot exceed 8% annually, so funds remaining after the allocation has equaled the growth limit are prorated among districts experiencing growth in excess of eight percent. Law: 53A-17a-112; R277-750. Contact: Sandra Cox . Data: Clearinghouse file (December 15) -- S2 record.
SPECIAL EDUCATION -- SELF CONTAINED
To compensate for the higher cost of providing more extensive educational services to students who are in a self contained setting (enrolled in special education for 180 minutes or more each day). Unlike resource students, self contained students do not generate a “regular” WPU. Formula: Per WPU, which equals Self Contained ADM from two years prior. Law:
53A-17a-111; R277-750. Contact: Sandra Cox . Data: Membership audit report (September 1).
SPECIAL EDUCATION -- STATE PROGRAMS
To support districts in serving special education students whose extensive needs cost the district more than $15,000 per student. Formula: 100% through RFP process. If the total amount approved exceeds the appropriation, grants are prorated. Distribution: One lump sum upon approval by State Director of Special Education. Law: 53A-17a-112; R277-750. Contact: Karl Wilson.
TRANSPORTATION -- LEVY
To support school districts in purchasing new buses, providing special busing for hazardous walking areas, and funding transportation costs associated with field and activity trips. Eligibility: A local school board qualifies if it levies at least the minimum special transportation tax rate—0.0002 as of FY 2007—and the levy is not enough to generate at least 85% of the state average cost per mile for the purposes listed above. Formula: Proportional to the difference between the amount generated by the levy and 85% of the state average cost per mile. Law: 53A-17a-127; R277-600. Contact & Data: Cindy Warner .
UNIFORM ONLINE SUMMATIVE TEST SYSTEM
One time appropriation to districts and charter schools to implement a single system for the online delivery of summative tests required under U-PASS. Example: Computer equipment, software, networking equipment, professional development, technical support personnel. Formula: Monies are allocated on a 25% base, with the remaining 75% distributed on a per pupil basis. Funds will only be distributed after approval of plans. Law: 53A-1-708 Contact: Cathy Dudley
U-PASS ADMINISTRATION
One time appropriation to implement a uniform online summative test system to enable parents of students and school staff to review U-PASS test scores by the end of the school year. This money can be used for anything directly related to implementing the test system such as: networking equipment, computer equipment and software, and teacher professional development. Formula: 25% will be allocated equally among districts. 75% will be allocated on a per pupil basis. Law:
53A-1-708. Contact: Cathy Dudley Data: Randy Raphael
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