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Task force debates raising $100 operational per‑pupil payment; partial increase would cost about $14.7 million
Summary
Members of the BESE MFP task force debated proposals to increase the long-unchanged operational per‑pupil allocation and to raise supplemental course funding for grades 7–12, with staff offering cost estimates and enrollment context.
Members of the BESE MFP task force debated proposals to increase the long-unchanged operational per‑pupil allocation and to raise supplemental course funding for grades 7–12, with staff offering cost estimates and enrollment context.
Department staff noted the operational $100 per student provision “hasn't been changed since … 02/2008” and that, after accounting for inflation since the earlier adjustment, one approach would be to raise the payment halfway toward full inflation adjustment. Staff said, “If you took the same approach I did last year … making up half the difference, you would be looking at moving from $100 a kid to $123, and that would be about 14,700,000.0.” The staff discussion cited a CPI increase of about 3% from 2024 to 2025 that informed the calculation.
Supplemental course allocation and dual enrollment
Task force members also discussed supplemental course funding for grades 7–12 (often used for dual‑enrollment and career/technical costs). Staff estimated that increasing the supplemental allocation by about 22 cents across the applicable pupil population would cost roughly $6 million to $7 million statewide. One member characterized the recent rise in community and technical college tuition as a driver for increasing the supplemental allocation so local districts can continue dual‑enrollment offerings.
Enrollment trends and budget implications
Department staff reiterated that the MFP is pupil driven: when students leave the public system, state allocations decrease. Staff said public enrollment (traditional public plus charters) has fallen “over a decade, like 4 to 5%,” while nonpublic enrollment is down more, and that statewide enrollment declines —roughly 45,000–50,000 students over five to seven years, per one member’s review— reduce state MFP outlays on a per‑pupil basis.
No formal action taken
Because the task force lacked a quorum, members did not vote on operational changes or supplemental increases. Several members urged a yearlong study of the MFP formula, and staff and members agreed to schedule additional meetings for in‑depth review and technical briefings.
