| Author |
Message |
    
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4800
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 4:46 am: |     |
I finally got a chance to look at the state aid figures for Essex County in yesterday's Star Ledger and I noticed a couple of things.
First, it appears that the lower the DFG (District Factors Group) the more state aid a district receives. As examples Montclair, a GH District (one level below SOMSD) will receive $8mil in state aid next year while we will receive around $5.5mil. Montclair has a significantly smaller school population than we do. This is a significant difference. The contrast is even greater with Bloomfield, a DFG DE district, and Belleville, a CD district, who will receive over $15 mil and $18 mil respectively.
Isn't it time that we bite the bullet and admit that our towns, at least the schools, are less affluent than they once were and try to be downgraded to at least DFG GH?
Another possibility, which I admit is pretty far off the wall, would be to form a separate K-7 district for the schools with over 20% free reduced lunch students to get more aid.
Fire when ready Gridley! |
Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 439
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 2:59 pm: | |
To me, fairly ignorant of this DFG stuff, this sounds very reasonable. Is there somewhere one can go and read about how the DFG thing is assigned? Is it a mixture of factors?
I agree with your premise that if our actual student population's need is different than what one might expect for the town's wealth, we ought to admit it and get the aid. |
bak
Citizen
Username: Bak
Post Number: 431
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 4:20 pm: | |
Motion denied-- makes too much sense. |
doublea
Citizen
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 494
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 5:36 pm: | |
I think our DFG was determined by the 2000 census. Many people were hoping SOM would drop to a GH, which is the DFG for West Orange and Montclair.
The Abbott Rim district legislation which was introduced a couple of years ago would have provided aid to a district so long as it had one school (e.g. Seth Boyden) in the district which provided free lunches to at least 20% of its students. |
C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 1661
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 5:36 pm: | |
I could be wrong but I think the BOE has explored this approach and the state has not budged on the issue for several years. I remember this same discussion taking place 2 or 3 years ago at least. I think it's reasonable but we'd have to know the specific criteria used and see where we actually come out comparatively speaking. And, of course, it would be based on the two towns together since the school district is a combined one. It would probably require the state to look (in fairness) at other towns as well which is possibly where the red tape would come in. But I certainly think it's worth a try.
Cathy |
Joan Auer
Citizen
Username: Joan
Post Number: 31
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 8:53 pm: | |
The Application of the DFG in School Finance
At the same time as the DFG was being developed for use in the reporting of test scores, New Jersey's debate over how schools could be equitably financed had already become a state supreme court case (Robinson v. Cahill). Arguments made before the courts in Robinson and later in Abbott took explicit account of the DFG and socioeconomic status in calculating spending differences between districts. Because the supreme court explicitly used the DFG as a means of identifying the districts for which special funding provisions would apply, as well as those districts whose spending levels are to be the target, the DFG has taken on new and increased significance.
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Joan Auer
Citizen
Username: Joan
Post Number: 32
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 9:01 pm: | |
The post above and the paragraph below are from the New Jersey Department of Education, Division of Finance.
The DFG Model
The DFG is an index of socioeconomic status that is created using data for several "indicators" available in the decennial Census of Population. Socioeconomic status cannot be measured directly. Rather, the literature holds that it is a function of other, measurable quantities (traditionally, the basic three are income, occupation, and education). Therefore, the DFG is a composite statistical index created using statistical procedures, a "model" of socioeconomic status, and input data for various socioeconomic traits. Seven indices were developed from the census data as follows:
Percent of population with no high school diploma
Percent with some college
Occupation
Population density
Income
Unemployment
Poverty
These seven indices were utilized in a principal components analysis to produce a statistical score which was used to rank the districts. Districts were then grouped so that each group would consist of districts having factor scores within an interval of one tenth of the distance between the highest and lowest scores.
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Joan Auer
Citizen
Username: Joan
Post Number: 33
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 9:05 pm: | |
The address for the site where I got the information is below.
http://www.state.nj.us/njded/stateaid/0304/ |
michael
Citizen
Username: Michael
Post Number: 491
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, February 28, 2004 - 12:04 am: | |
Joan, I am fairly certain that any NJ public school district can appeal to change it’d DFG rating.
I also think that their is great concern amongst some that to lower Maplewood's and South Oranges DFG status, although it would afford us more in state aide, would be looked upon as a negative for the towns.
Read- be bad for real estate values.
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bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4822
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 28, 2004 - 6:54 am: | |
I think that our district made a big step when we applied for Abbot Rim status last year. I think it is time for us to examine the DFG question as well. We have at least three schools (Seth Boyden, Clinton and MMS) with over 20% of the students qualifying for free and reduced lunch.
I find it very hard to believe that our socio-economic status can still be compared to towns such as Chatham, Madison,Caldwell, etc., all of whom are DFG I districts.
Obviously, we have more kids in the district who need special programs to have any chance of success. To let our ego get in the way of possible additional funding doesn't make sense. |
Diversity Man
Citizen
Username: Deadwhitemale
Post Number: 663
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 28, 2004 - 2:34 pm: | |
does the district match any of these kids with affidavit residency?
DWM |
Joan Auer
Citizen
Username: Joan
Post Number: 34
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, February 29, 2004 - 9:34 am: | |
Anyone know what happened with this bill? Did it pass? Is it still pending? Did the school district get extra money?
NJ Officials Looking For Ways To Help Pay For School Programs In Middle Class Districts
(New York-WABC, October 4, 2002) — In tonight's Eyewitness News Extra: Paying for education. New Jersey relies on property taxes to fund it's schools. But property taxes are so high in some Garden State communities that residents are now demanding relief from the state, especially middle income areas. Education Reporter Celeste Ford has more.
One of biggest issues in New Jersey is education funding and property taxes. Proposed legislation would mean more state aid for middle income districts that border urban areas. Residents in those areas say their schools have the same needs, so they want some of the same funding.
Five year-olds in Orange attend all-day kindergarten that is subsidized by the state. Orange is one of New Jersey's high-need districts, known as Abbott Districts, which qualify for special funding.
The neighboring district, which covers South Orange and Maplewood, only offers half-day kindergarten. As a middle income area the district relies on property taxes to pay for education, and can't afford some of the services offered in a low income district, even though many of its students have the same backgrounds.
Assemblyman John McKeon, Essex County (D): "With the proximity comes a percentage of economically disadvantaged students and in general, as statistics show, they're more economic challenged to educate than one of upper and middle incomes."
Assemblyman John McKeon is co-sponsoring a bill that would help suburbs, known as Abbott Rim Districts. The proposal would let 16 districts share extra state aid each year, totalling about $70 million. The money would pay for early childhood classes and specialized programs such as class size reduction.
Celeste Ford, Eyewitness News: "How much would your district get from this?"
Shelley Slafkes, South Orange, Maplewood Board of Education: "Approximately $5 million additional dollars, per year."
Shelly Slafkes, a Board of Ed member, says in South Orange the average property tax bill is $10,000, with more than half the money paying for the schools. Still, it's not enough.
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doublea
Citizen
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 499
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, February 29, 2004 - 9:57 am: | |
I think it was intoduced in 2002 and that's as far as it got. No doubt the fiscal crisis that N.J. found itself in shortly thereafter didn't help. Recently things have improved in the state. We have some people in the district who are pretty close to the scene. Maybe they can comment. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4828
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, February 29, 2004 - 3:42 pm: | |
Never happened, never will. A few feel good ideas that the power brokers in Trenton will never go for no matter the state of the treasury. |
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