Relating to the small-sized district adjustment under the Foundation School Program.
The bill aims to support school districts that serve fewer students by adjusting the funding formulas used to determine state assistance. Under the proposed changes, districts with not more than 1,600 students in average daily attendance would benefit from a formula that increases their adjusted allotment as ADA decreases. This is expected to enhance the financial standing of smaller districts, enabling them to maintain quality education standards despite their size.
House Bill 100 addresses funding adjustments for small-sized school districts under the Foundation School Program in Texas. The bill proposes amendments to the Education Code, specifically Section 42.103, which governs the basic allotment calculations for school districts. The primary goal of the legislation is to ensure that districts with average daily attendance (ADA) numbers below set thresholds receive a more favorable adjustment to their basic allotment, thus ensuring equitable funding distribution across smaller districts.
While the bill appears to benefit smaller school districts, there are points of contention regarding how this adjustment might affect larger districts and the overall funding landscape. Critics may argue that changing the allotment calculations could lead to an imbalance in funding where larger districts could experience decreases in their expected funding. Additionally, stakeholders might have differing opinions on the efficacy of allocation methods used to substantiate the adjustments proposed in HB100.