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}anuaiy 2S, 2u14

Neuia Contact: Ciystal uieene, crystal.greene@state.or.us, SuS-947-
S6Su


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(6&'"78 92":) - Touay in a unanimous vote, the State Boaiu of
Euucation auopteu a new methou foi calculating poveity foi use in
the State School Funuing foimula. This vote ieplaces the piioi
methou of calculating poveity with an upuateu methou using moie
cuiient anu accuiate uata. The 2u1S Legislatuie gave the State
Boaiu the authoiity to make this change in BB 2u98.

"We have a funuing foimula that is stiuctuieu aiounu equity," saiu
State Boaiu of Euucation Chaii Samuel Beniy. "Bowevei, the
poveity uata oui system was using was out of uate. This change
will ensuie that the uistiicts with the highest numbeis of stuuents
in poveity aie ieceiving some auuitional iesouices to help meet
those stuuents' euucational neeus."

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In the past, the state was iequiieu to use Becennial Census uata to
calculate poveity foi the vast majoiity of uistiicts. Bowevei, the
Becennial Census stoppeu collecting poveity infoimation aftei
2uuu. Pei statute, the state has useu this 2uuu census uata as the
basis foi ueteimining a uistiict's poveity funuing foi the past 1S
yeais. The 0iegon Bepaitment of Euucation iequesteu a change in
the law to give iule making authoiity to the State Boaiu in oiuei to
allow foi a much neeueu upuate anu ensuie poveity funuing
accuiately aligns to cuiient poveity iates anu uistiibution in oui
state.

The new system is baseu on the 0.S. Census Buieau's Small Aiea
Income Poveity Estimate (SAIPE). This is a statistical mouel that
estimates poveity foi small population sizes, like 0iegon school
uistiicts. The mouel is baseu on a numbei of uata sets incluuing the
Becennial Census, Supplemental Nutiitional Aiu Piogiam
uata, seveial yeaily suiveys by the 0.S. Census, anu some IRS uata.
The mouel pioviues infoimation on the numbei of stuuents ageu S
to 17 in each uistiict as well as the numbei of stuuents in
poveity. Auuitional calculations iuentify the piopoition of those
stuuents eniolleu in public schools.

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In 0iegon, school uistiicts ieceive state funuing baseu on a system
of weights uesigneu to uelivei equity. The system pioviues extia
funuing foi stuuents in specific categoiies to offset the auuitional
costs often associateu with pioviuing these stuuents with the
suppoits anu iesouices they neeu to be successful. Foi example,
uistiicts ieceive auuitional funuing foi stuuents leaining English oi
those in special euucation. Anothei one of these categoiies is the
numbei of stuuents in poveity in a given uistiict.

In simplifieu teims, a uistiict ieceives one funuing weight foi a
stuuent who is in theii schools foi the yeai anu then auuitional
weights oi poitions of weights if that stuuent falls into one oi moie
of the specific categoiies. Bistiicts ieceive an auuitional quaitei
weight foi stuuents in poveity. Touay's change uoes not altei this
system of weights; it simply upuates the piocess by which the
numbei of stuuents in poveity is ueteimineu. Bowevei, this
iesults in a shifting of iesouices away fiom uistiicts with less
poveity than in 2uuu anu towaiu uistiicts with moie stuuents
cuiiently in poveity. In auuition, since theie aie moie stuuents in
poveity touay than theie weie in 2uuu, the amount uistiicts
ieceive foi each weight has ieuuceu slightly which also impacts
uistiict funuing.

"We know that changes to the funuing foimula can be challenging,
especially foi uistiicts who may be ieceiving fewei iesouices next
yeai than they hau been anticipating," saiu Beputy Supeiintenuent
Rob Saxton. "But we also know that many uistiicts in oui state have
not been ieceiving the iesouices they neeu to seive theii stuuents
in poveity. This may be a painful ieaujustment foi some uistiicts,
but it is a necessaiy step to ensuie that we aie getting funuing out
to the aieas of gieatest neeu anu using the most cuiient anu
accuiate uata available on stuuent poveity."

The new poveity calculation goes into effect in the 2u14-1S school
yeai. Bistiicts will ieceive foimal funuing estimates in Naich;
howevei, pieliminaiy infoimation is cuiiently available on how
this change will impact uistiict's funuing next school yeai.

Eighty uistiicts will ieceive auuitional funuing uue to an inciease in
the numbei of stuuents in poveity. The iemaining 117 uistiicts
will ieceive less funuing foi a vaiiety of ieasons incluuing fewei
stuuents in poveity, ueclining eniollment oveiall, oi as a iesult of
the ieuuction in funuing foi each weight. Click here to access
funuing infoimation by uistiict.


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