School Finance Week 1 Assignment Part 2

Issues Impacting the State Formula
1.State property values affect the per pupil allotment based on current accounting laws Reasons: Property values can change drastically and are not static enough to use as a base a per pupil allotment. To offset these fluctuations it seems other allotment protocols were created to hide the fact that property values are an inadequate form of funding, at least in its current form.
2.The complexity of the funding process Reasons: The current funding process/procedures are too complex for most to understand. Modified funding, allotments, adjustments, and very other accounting measures create a mind numbing experience for the average educator. Although I do not have a good solution, it seems we are facing this crisis because the federal, state, and local governments refuse to control our spending and tighten up our belts and realize there is more to education that just throwing money at the problem. We need a common sense approach that attacks the real problem, over spending.
3.Maintaining equity in funding (rich vs. poor, hold harmless) Reasons: I am very much a novice when it comes to educational financing, but it seems to me that there is still and equity in funding issue. Honestly, I have tried to study and understand the finance system, and have a tremendous amount to learn. From what I do understand some districts still get a lot more money per pupil then others using this current system. If we take that into account, why is one student more valuable than another? For example, District “A” gets $5000.00 per pupil and District “B” gets $3500.00 per pupil. I definitely need to be educated on how this is possible.