Student Based Funds

The Basics

Each school begins with an expected student enrollment count for the upcoming year. This is an estimated number of students by grade as well as students who receive special education and other services. Schools will receive additional funds to support students with greater needs. Schools that serve special student populations will receive additional dollars to support those students’ needs, which include services for English Learners (EL), Special Education (SPED), Pre-K and at-risk students. With a focus on school enrollment, the updated budget model provides a strong foundation for every student in every school across the District.

Below is an example of two different students in DCPS. Ella attends general education classes and does not need additional academic or language support. Mark attends general education classes and receives special education and English-language services. This image shows how the intention behind student based funds: schools receive funding based on student need. Since DCPS budgets based on projection, schools receive dollar amounts based on the projected numbers of students for each category with a weight.

DCPS School Funding Model Student Based Weights

Below is a chart outlining the base weight and supplemental weights in the Student Based Budgeting (SBB) portion of the funding model for FY24. As displayed above, weights are additive thus the per student funding amount of a specific student will vary based on the multiple categories they may fall into.

To understand the amount of a school’s student-based budgeting allocation by supplemental weight type, review this equation below. 

For example, for a K-8 Education Campus with 300 K-8 students, $485,400 of their Student Based Funds will be from the Education Campus weight. This was calculated by multiplying the base amount ($6,473) by the EC weight (0.25) by the number of students who are included in that group (300). In the case of the K-8 Education Campus, the students part of the group (300). In the case of the K-8 Education Campus, the students part of the group is the entire school. However, for English Learners the number of students will just be those identified as English Learners, and for 40% the at-risk concentration weight it will be for the student count once the 40% threshold is reached.