| No parent wants their child to have to attend a | | | | as the number of kids in each program. Pilot Boston |
| school that is sub-standard. We all want our children | | | | Schools, offer higher-cost special and bilingual (not to |
| to get the best education they possibly can. Even | | | | be confused with English as a 2nd Language |
| those who don't have kids in school today are | | | | students) education programs. |
| interested in the success of the schools and often | | | | Special Boston Schools, such as the Mann School for |
| get involved in supporting their neighborhood schools. | | | | the Deaf, are funded based on its students' special |
| The reality is that not all kids get to attend the | | | | disabilities. |
| top-notch school. Some, many in fact, wind up in | | | | Alternative Boston Schools are funded on an individual |
| schools that are facing issues that make it hard for | | | | basis, with no consistentrequirements across the |
| them to inspire students to do their best. | | | | board. In addition, 10 designated Superintendent's |
| Gangs, school violence, lack of funding, and uninspired | | | | Schools havebeen recently chosen. These Boston |
| teaching and administrative staff are all factors that | | | | Schools have demonstrated consistently low |
| can be associated with failing schools. While money | | | | performance. For the '07-'08 school year, each of |
| isn't everything, it sure helps. Having enough funding, | | | | these schools will get $1.2 million in extra funds. |
| and in certain situations, a bit extra can go a long | | | | In order for Boston Schools to receive a more |
| way to tackling the other problems. Boston Public | | | | equitable distribution of funds they would develop |
| Schools are working to achieve more equality for | | | | "weights" so that the allocations match the needs of |
| their schools by changing the way the budget is | | | | the students while still adhering to the priorities of the |
| allocated each year. | | | | Boston Schools district. Determining these weights will |
| Boston Schools are looking into a budget allocation | | | | involve extensive participation from the community. |
| process used by other large urban districts called | | | | The purpose of this is to institute a formula to |
| "weighted student funding", or WSF. A task force | | | | evenly determine which schools need what in terms |
| staffed by Boston Schools employees has been | | | | of cash. For example, regular education students are |
| formed to look into the plan and determine if it's | | | | given a weight of 1, students who are leaning to |
| something that will help Boston Schools achieve a | | | | speak English a 1.7, and a moderate special-needs |
| more equitable distribution of funds. Currently, schools | | | | student a 1.6. The whole thing would then be added |
| in Boston are not all receiving the funding required to | | | | up, and guidelines for funding would be determined. |
| successfully implement the programs they offer. | | | | While this sounds like the same horse with a different |
| For example, Traditional Boston Schools have, in the | | | | color, it can affect more equitable funding for all |
| past, been allocated positions, not funds, based on | | | | Boston Schools. |
| the different types of programs they offer, as well | | | | |