Below you will find links to FY19 tuition and enrollment projections for charter schools and sending districts. It is our hope that this information will assist in the FY19 budget process for charter schools, school districts, and municipalities.
It is important to note some caveats that may affect the accuracy of these projections. While actual enrollment cannot exceed the projection reported by a given charter, enrollment by individual sending school districts may vary. Additionally, each sending district's tuition rate is a function of local spending and subject to change. Both districts and charter schools should allow for some margin of error when preparing their FY19 budgets.
The Conference Committee budget allocates $90,000,000 in charter aid. This funding covers 100 per cent of Facilities Tuition aid and 35 per cent of Increased Tuition aid.
Key points about this set of projections:
Foundation budget base rates are increased by an inflation factor of 2.64 per cent.
In response to the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission, the "benefits and fixed charges" rate within the foundation budget formula has been adjusted upward, beyond the inflation factor.
Economically disadvantaged enrollment continues to be used in lieu of free and reduced price lunch data, which is no longer available for all schools as a result of school participation in the USDA's Community Eligibility Program.
English language learner (ELL) rates have been converted to grade based increments, effectively increasing programmatic support.
The tuition rate summary presented by school, campus, and sending district, has been expanded to include NSS capping and tuition data. The file now contains expanded comparison modelling.
Projected FY19 Charter FTE and Tuition is an MS Excel spreadsheet of the number of pupils at each charter school and the total dollars to be paid.
Projected FY19 Charter Tuition Payments and Reimbursements For Sending Districts is an MS Excel spreadsheet of each district's total enrollment at all charter schools; the local tuition assessed (including facilities); and the Commonwealth's reimbursement to districts for facilities tuition and increases in tuition.
Projected FY19 Rates by Charter School and Sending District is a comprehensive, sortable list of the individual district tuition rates at each charter school. Also included are comparison worksheets for Foundation and Above Foundation Spending Rates.
Projected FY19 Estimate of FTE Remaining Under the NSS Cap
The charter school tuition rate has three components. The facilities component is set by the legislature at $893 per pupil. The detail for the other two components is provided below.
FY19 Foundation Budget is an MS Excel spreadsheet containing the Foundation Budgets of all applicable charter school sending districts. A drop down menu allows the user to select the school, campus, and district.
Projected FY19 Net School Spending Percentage Above Foundation is an MS Excel spreadsheet that provides the calculation used to determine the percentage of net school spending above foundation. Deductions for retired teacher's health insurance and out-of-district special education costs are shown in detail.
Questions regarding charter school tuition and reimbursements may be addressed to Hadley Cabral in School Finance at (781) 338-6586 or hcabral@doe.mass.edu .
Last Updated: July 30, 2018
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
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