Stability Funding
The Basics
As DC Public Schools continue to experience shifts in enrollment, it is important that our funding model effectively supports schools of all sizes. Our funding model was designed to provide schools with year-over-year stability funds, (1) with safety net checks that ensure schools can afford a baseline level of services with their student-based funds and (2) with sustainability dollars that protect school budgets from the impact of rising costs.
If a school receives any stability funding allocations, they will be displayed individually on the initial allocation worksheet. Note that in any given budget year, there could be additional one-time stability funds provided to schools outside of the funding model. Those are not captured here.
Stability Funding in the DCPS School Funding Model
The funding model provides stability funding to schools in two distinct ways. Note that in any given budget year, there could be additional one-time stability funds provided to schools outside of the Funding Model. Those are not captured here.
Stability Funds | Description |
Safety Net Supplement | Ensures schools have funding for a baseline of services by school type |
School Sustainability Fund | The school sustainability fund ensures that a schools allocation enables them to buy back their prior year quantities with future year position costs and adjusted for changes in enrollment and programming. An important component is that ensures schools can afford the appropriate number of classroom teachers based on prior year ratios adjusted for enrollment changes and position cost. |
Safety Net Supplement
The safety net supplement is provided to schools when their student-based funds do not generate enough dollars to provide a baseline of services (safety net). The model calculates the cost of the baseline services at every school based on the individual school’s enrollment and school type. If the amount of student-based funding generated by a school is not enough to afford the safety net, then the school is allocated a “safety net supplement,” which is the amount of funding the school would need to afford their safety net. Safety net funds are fully flexible.
ELC (PK3-PK4) | ES (PK-5) | PK-8 | MS | HS | EC2 | River Terrace | |
Teacher – General Education (ratios shown by grade as students: teacher) | N/A (ELC staff directly allocated) | K-2 20:1 3-5 25:1 | K-2 20:1 3-8 25:1 | 6-8 25:1 | 9-12 25:1 | 6-12 25:1 | N/A (SPED staff directly allocated) |
Assistant Principal | 1 Assistant Principal | 1 Assistant Principal for 400 students | 1 Assistant Principal for 400 students | 1 Assistant Principal | 1 Assistant Principal | 1 Assistant Principal for 400 students | 1 Assistant Principal |
Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach | 1 Instructional Coach |
Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk | 1 Clerk |
Teacher – Related Arts | Enrollment up to 399: 3 FTEs Enrollment 400-599: 4.5 FTEs Enrollment above 600: 5.5 FTEs | Enrollment up to 399: 3 FTEs Enrollment 400-599: 4.5 FTEs Enrollment above 600: 5.5 FTEs | Enrollment up to 399: 3 FTEs Enrollment 400-599: 4.5 FTEs Enrollment above 600: 5.5 FTEs | Enrollment up to 399: 3 FTEs Enrollment 400-599: 4.5 FTEs Enrollment above 600: 5.5 FTEs | None | (Grades 6-8 only) Enrollment up to 399: 3 FTEs Enrollment 400-599: 4.5 FTEs Enrollment above 600: 5.5 FTEs | None |
What is it?
- An assurance that student-based funds (Mark and Ella) can afford a baseline level of services for all schools based on school type/size
What is it not?
- A direct allocation of items
- A guarantee that schools are budgeting these positions in this manner (where program requirements is important)
- The only way schools receive funding. Schools can budget for these and more positions using other funding streams
School Sustainability Fund (formerly Stabilization)
Schools receive sustainability funding if their formulaic allocation from the funding model is not enough to buy back their prior year budgeted, adjusted for enrollment changes, at future year costs. The buy back budget is calculated by putting the prior year budgeted quantities (excluding over-enrollment assistance) into future year costs and inflating all NPS line items by the inflationary multiplier. This starting-point buy back budget is adjusted upwards and downwards if required depending on changes to direct staffing and program allocations year over year, changes to grade level enrollment that would result in the increase or decrease of classroom teachers, and any changes to the safety net. Sustainability funding is calculated by comparing schools’ formulaic model budgets to the buy back budget and awarding funding if the buy back budget is not met. This funding is flexible and schools are not required to buy back items from the prior year.
