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Joint Fiscal Office illustrates how foundation formula assumptions drive Vermont base cost
Summary
A Joint Fiscal Office presenter told the Senate Finance Committee the governor’s proposed $13,200 foundation base stems from an evidence‑based prototypical district model and that changes to school size, staff ratios or inputs can raise or lower the calculated base significantly.
Ezra, a Joint Fiscal Office analyst, briefed the Senate Finance Committee on the mechanics behind the administration’s proposed foundation formula and how individual assumptions ripple through to statewide costs.
"The base is the core amount of funding per student before applying any weights for any special circumstances," Ezra said, describing a prototypical district model supplied to the Joint Fiscal Office that aggregates prototypical elementary, middle and high schools and spreads central office and maintenance costs across 3,900 pupils.
The administration’s $13,200 per‑pupil base, Ezra explained, comes from an evidence‑based staffing and resource model developed by Dr. Dale Pikus (Piketasuddin/Pikes in testimony) and further processed by consultants…
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