Charter Schools and School Finance

1. Charter Schools and School Finance Oregon Department of Education

2. Charter Schools are Public Schools

3. Types of funding • State School Fund • Local revenue • Some state grants • Some federal funds • Contract funds • Donations Oregon Department of Education

4. State School Funds • Where do you go to find information about State School Funds? URL: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=168 Oregon Department of Education

5. State School Funds You go to the State School Fund website and click on the link titled District Estimates and Warrants… Oregon Department of Education

6. State School Funds School district estimates contain Charter School Rate information Oregon Department of Education

7. State School Funds The Charter School Rate amount for each district is on the bottom right corner of the estimate… Oregon Department of Education

8. State School Funds and the Charter School Rate The Charter School Rate is calculated by dividing the school district’s “current” ADMw into the General Purpose Grant. For example, ORS 338.155(2)(a) states: • (2) A school district shall contractually establish, with any public charter school that is sponsored by the board of the school district, payment for provision of educational services to the public charter school’s students. The payment shall equal an amount per weighted average daily membership (ADMw) of the public charter school that is at least equal to: • (a) Eighty percent of the amount of the school district’s General Purpose Grant per ADMw as calculated under ORS 327.013 for students who are enrolled in kindergarten through grade eight. • (b) Ninety-five percent of the amount of the school district’s General Purpose Grant per ADMw as calculated under ORS 327.013 for students who are enrolled in grades 9 through 12… Oregon Department of Education

9. IEP students and charter schools Some of you are probably wondering about ORS 338.165… Special education students; payment for services. (1) Notwithstanding ORS 338.155 (1), for purposes of this section, the “resident school district” of a student who is eligible for special education and related services shall be the school district in which the student’s parent or guardian or person in parental relationship to the student reside pursuant to ORS 339.133 and 339.134… …and who gets what and why. Oregon Department of Education

10. IEP students and charter schools A couple of “current” key points to remember: • IEP rule “trumps” charter school rule for residency claims • Charter school rule would be primary if the child’s IEP was removed • For a student on an IEP - attending district reports the student in the ADM collection and identifies the district where the parent/guardian resides as the resident district • SSF is sent to resident district and then paid to charter school via tuition agreement • Only the resident district can claim a student in the Special Education Child Count (SECC – used to award IEP weight in SSF) • ORS 338.165 should be based on two full weights, not a prorated amount of second weight based on the 11% IEP cap • For a KG-8 IEP student, the payment is 40% of two full weights multiplied by the charter school rate, which is the same thing as 80% of one weight multiplied by the charter school rate for a KG-8 student not on an IEP Oregon Department of Education

11. IEP students and charter schools Example of simple payment calculator for IEP students: Oregon Department of Education

12. Although ORS 338.165(5) provides: “A school district and a public charter school may negotiate on a case-by-case basis for an alternative distribution of funds…” Oregon Department of Education

13. Questions??? Contact information: cindy.l.hunt@state.or.us Phone: (503) 947-5651 michael.wiltfong@state.or.us Phone: (503) 947-5914 Oregon Department of Education