LaTEACH
Information Alert - BESE passed MFP (Funding Formula); LaTEACH members and others expressed concerns and opposition

March 14, 2014

 

Thank you for sharing your concerns with BESE this week. 

 

Yesterday, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) passed the major funding formula for schools, the Minimum Foundation Program or MFP, without addressing any concerns raised by many groups.  Parents of students with disabilities were among a long list of stakeholders sharing concerns regarding how the funding is distributed to school systems.  The concerns shared related to disabilities is the inequity in funding distributions across school systems. 

 

The MFP next goes to the Legislature with the House Appropriations Committee making the first vote deciding whether to accept or reject it. 

 

A number of state representatives came to hear public testimony and Representatives Kevin Pearson and Patricia "Pat" Smith shared concerns that BESE was not adequately addressing critical funding shortages in local public school systems.

 

In addition to parents of students with disabilities there was opposition expressed by the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, the Louisiana School Boards Association, local school business managers, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and others.  Much of the opposition revolved around the MFP not including expectations for future increases and redefining local school systems as including state-run and charter schools. This shift in definition of a public school will cause further disruptions in funding levels for traditional public school systems.

 

The funding formula does not address requests by advocates of students with disabilities - that funding be based on student need and the same formula be used for all schools.

 

LaTEACH will send out an alert before the House Appropriations Committee discusses and votes on the MFP. 

Any questions?
If there are any questions about the information in this alert, contact LaTEACH at:
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Phone: 1-800-450-8108
Phone: 1-800-894-6558
Website: www.lateach.org

LaTEACH is an initiative of the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council.