Why does the District use the twentieth day count as the bench mark for enrollment and projections instead of the October 15th FTE?
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) is simply a school budget projection for the upcoming year. There are several reasons why the twentieth day count is used as the basis for enrollment planning in the District instead of the October 15th FTE. For instance, one FTE does not generally equal one student but is based on a numeric equation used to predict the total FTE in the second semester in February. For example: a student in October may equal one half of an FTE, ESE students are considered weighted FTE’s and may count as more than one FTE, and fee-based students, Headstart and paid VPK prekindergarten students are not counted in FTE calculations. In addition, the factor used to calculate an FTE varies by school and by level. For example, the District average for high schools counts one student as 0.96 FTE. To plan school attendance areas for the upcoming year, a process which requires an inclusive community vetting process, enrollment projections must be completed immediately following the twe
