How is the new school funding law different from the old one?
The new formula attempts to provide aid to districts based on the specific needs of their students. Unlike CEIFA, it will be used to distribute aid to all districts – eliminating the “Abbott” designation. There are also significant differences in the way it provides funding for “at-risk” students, special education, and security costs. In addition, the new formula significantly expands the state’s obligation to provide early childhood programs to students. Finally, it uses a geographic cost adjustment to reflect county differences in the cost of providing educational services.
