FTE Allocations
The General Fund staffing formula comprises four components: Administrative Support, Ratio FTE, Kindergarten, and Socio-Economic Status (SES) factor. All FTE allocations are still measured in licensed equivalents, meaning classified employees count against allocations half as much as licensed employees.
The methodologies behind these basic components are summarized below (Click the Descriptions of School Staffing Formulas link to the left for a more complete description of these methodologies).
The methodologies behind these basic components are summarized below (Click the Descriptions of School Staffing Formulas link to the left for a more complete description of these methodologies).
Administrative Support: is based on both the size and configuration of the school. This allocation includes principals, assistant principals, secretaries and counselors.
Ratio FTE - calculated by applying a standard student to staff ratio:
- 25.0:1 for elementary, K-8, and middle schools, a change from 24.24:1
- 29.1:1 for high schools, a change from 24.03:1
SES factor: determined by each school’s percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced meal prices. Approximately five percent of the nonadministrative FTE allocation is based on this SES factor. The SES FTE will be allocated proportionally among all regular schools based on the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced price meals.
In addition to the above formulas, the general fund allocation is supplemented by two additional components:
Kindergarten: In spite of the current fiscal challenges, maintaining manageable kindergarten class sizes remains a top priority so the current kindergarten staffing formula will be retained. The kindergarten allocation occurs in two phases – an initial allocation as part of the regular spring staff allocation process, and a secondary allocation to lower class size once enrollment becomes firm. Twenty five will remain the District’s target for maximum kindergarten class size.
Kindergarten: In spite of the current fiscal challenges, maintaining manageable kindergarten class sizes remains a top priority so the current kindergarten staffing formula will be retained. The kindergarten allocation occurs in two phases – an initial allocation as part of the regular spring staff allocation process, and a secondary allocation to lower class size once enrollment becomes firm. Twenty five will remain the District’s target for maximum kindergarten class size.
Non-Formula: As the school year approaches, and during the school year, allocations may be supplemented with one-time allocation additions to account for enrollment variances or to maintain key programs.
Determining the student count
Staffing is based on school size as measured by average daily membership (ADM), with adjustments. Kindergarten students are half-weighted, and Pre-Kindergarten students are not counted at all, since they are not covered by state funds.
- Annual ADM, taken from the district's student information system (eSIS) data for an entire calendar year, is the standard base student count, used in schools whose enrollment has not changed significantly.
- Fall ADM, taken from eSIS data from July to December, is used in schools whose size has changed significantly from one year to the next.
- Adjustments to the base student count are made in cases of mergers, expansions, added grade levels, new programs, and boundary changes.
If you have any further questions about how your General Fund allocation was computed, please call Shawn Helm, Data and Policy Analysis, at Ext. 63324.
