- The 2010 Formula’s “core instruction amount” of $8,922 is inadequate because it does not include, among other things, operating and “other” expense. These costs amount to approximately 20% of the typical school district’s budget. As a result, these costs must be paid for with 100% local funds, with none of the cost-sharing of Step 3 of the formula. In contrast, the 2007 Working Group report recommended a base amount of $10,600, which would be higher today after accounting for increases in the cost of living over the past eight years.
- The 2010 Formula’s single adjustment of 40% for children who qualify for free or reduced price lunch (FRPL) does not account for the extra needs of children learning the English language. The consultant justified this at the time by saying that the two populations (FRPL children and ELL children) are closely correlated. This is not the case in Rhode Island. For example, in 2012, the relative populations in selected communities was as follows:
Community | FRPL % | Hispanic | ESL/Bilingual | ||
Burrillville | 25% | 1% | 0% | ||
Central Falls | 75% | 70% | 22% | ||
Cranston | 26% | 13% | 4% | ||
East Providence | 37% | 5% | 3% | ||
Johnston | 31% | 9% | 2% | ||
Newport | 50% | 16% | 3% | ||
North Providence | 29% | 12% | 2% | ||
Pawtucket | 67% | 30% | 10% | ||
Providence | 82% | 59% | 15% | ||
West Warwick | 40% | 9% | 2% | ||
Woonsocket | 64% | 24% | 4% | ||
For this reason, the 2007 Task Force developed a formula with an additional 0.2 weight for ELL students based on its consultant’s research. This weight was additive to a poverty weight of 0.25 for reduced price lunch and .5 for free lunch.
As shown on the Quadratic Mean Table, the quadratic mean transfers state aid from some of the State’s poorest communities to its wealthiest ones.
The following table highlights some of those transfers.
Community | Adjusted EWAV Share % (SSRC) |
FY 2015 Actual Share(Including Quadratic Mean) |
Quadratic Mean % Impact |
FY 2015 Formula Aid |
Quadratic Mean $ Impact |
Charlestown | 0.0 | 18.7 | 18.7 | 1,708,666 | 1,708,666 |
Jamestown | 0.0 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 399,684 | 399,684 |
Little Compton | 0.0 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 401,928 | 401,928 |
Narragansett | 0.0 | 16.9 | 16.9 | 1,987,115 | 1,987,115 |
Newport | 0.0 | 46.7 | 46.7 | 10,368,288 | 10,368,288 |
New Shoreham | 0.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 82,308 | 82,308 |
Westerly | 0.0 | 28.7 | 28.7 | 7,620,088 | 7,620,088 |
Shore Communities | 0.0 | 22,568,077 | 22,568,077 | ||
Pawtucket | 85.8 | 83.3 | -2.5 | 74,103,107 | -2,223,983 |
Providence | 85.5 | 88 | 2.5 | 213,028,339 | 6,051,941 |
West Warwick | 70.9 | 62.7 | -8.2 | 20,973,995 | -2,743,011 |
Woonsocket | 88.5 | 84.2 | -4.3 | 50,568,580 | -2,582,481 |
When it was proposed, the quadratic mean was presented as a way to help all communities afford the extra cost of educating children in poverty. In fact, however, the quadratic mean’s aid per student in poverty increases as the community’s wealth per student increases, as this chart shows:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J |
Community | Adjusted AEWAV Per Student |
AEWAV Base Ratio |
Adjusted EWAV Share % |
FY 2015 State Share % |
Quadratic Mean % Impact |
FY 2015 Formula Aid |
Quadratic Mean $ Impact |
FY2015 FRPL |
Quadratic Mean State Aid Per Child |
Charlestown | 2339.6 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 18.7 | 18.7 | 1,708,666 | 1,708,666 | 250 | 6835 |
Jamestown | 3768.2 | 4.2 | 0.0 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 399,684 | 399,684 | 67 | 5965 |
Little Compton | 6011.6 | 6.8 | 0.0 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 401,928 | 401,928 | 58 | 6930 |
Narragansett | 4081.5 | 4.6 | 0.0 | 16.9 | 16.9 | 1,987,115 | 1,987,115 | 313 | 6349 |
Newport | 2737.6 | 3.1 | 0.0 | 46.7 | 46.7 | 10,368,288 | 10,368,288 | 1212 | 8555 |
New Shoreham | 22083.8 | 24.8 | 0.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 82,308 | 82,308 | 16 | 5144 |
Westerly | 2018.4 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 28.7 | 28.7 | 7,620,088 | 7,620,088 | 1172 | 6502 |
Shore Communities | 3122.5 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 22,568,077 | 22,568,077 | 3088 | 7308 | ||
State | 888.9 | 1.0 | |||||||
Pawtucket | 265.2 | 0.3 | 85.8 | 83.3 | -2.5 | 74,103,107 | -2,223,983 | 6555 | -339 |
Providence | 271.1 | 0.3 | 85.5 | 88 | 2.5 | 213,028,339 | 6,051,941 | 19791 | 306 |
West Warwick | 544.3 | 0.6 | 70.9 | 62.7 | -8.2 | 20,973,995 | -2,743,011 | 1816 | -1510 |
Woonsocket | 214.5 | 0.2 | 88.5 | 84.2 | -4.3 | 50,568,580 | -2,582,481 | 4565 | -566 |