A new proposal to continue high levels of funding for California school districts would, if enacted, remove incentives for the public schools to improve themselves. State Sen. Anthony Portantino, chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, recently proposed SB 830, which would switch the way public schools are funded, from the current average-daily-attendance calculations to yearly enrollment.
Under average daily attendance, schools receive funding for students who actually attend school. When students miss school, schools receive less funding. Portantino’s proposal would guarantee funding to school districts based on the number of students who enroll in a public school regardless of whether they attend classes.
The initial debate over Portantino’s proposal has been over whether it incentivizes absenteeism.
