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G.I. Public Schools will get $5.435 million increase in state aid
The Grand Island Public Schools will receive a $5.435 million increase
in state aid for the 2008-09 school year, Director of Business Virgil
Harden said Friday.
The school district received $33.649 million
in state aid for this school year, and the figure will increase to
$39.084 million for the next school year.
"That's extremely good news," Harden said.
Five main factors caused the increase in state aid. Those factors are:
* The Limited English Proficiency Allowance generated $642,000 in additional state aid.
* The Poverty Allowance generated $1,563,000 in additional state aid.
* The Allocated Income Tax funds generated $703,000 in additional state aid.
* Enrollment growth generated $544,000 in additional state aid.
* Growth in the standard cost grouping generated the remaining $1,983,000 increase in state aid.
Harden
explained that the $5.435 million increase in state aid would be
targeted at addressing the needs of students who caused the increase in
revenue -- Limited English Learners and poverty students who qualify
for free or reduced price meals. Increasing spending to assist
lower-income students "is more of an elusive thing" than targeting
English Language Learners, Harden said. Lower-income students, for
instance, could be helped by reducing class sizes in schools with
larger percentages of students affected by poverty.
The increase
in state aid will also help offset an increased cost of doing business:
greater expenses for negotiated agreements with staff members and
increases in expenses ranging from utility costs to textbook costs.
Approximately 80 percent of the school district's expenditures are for
its staff members, Harden said.
The Grand Island Public Schools' state aid increased by $3.2 million for the 2007-08 school year, he said.
For more information, contact: Virgil Harden, Director of Business, Grand Island Public Schools, (308) 385-5900,
vharden@gips.org; Dr. Steve Joel, Superintendent, Grand Island Public Schools, (308) 385-5900,
sjoel@gips.org
It is the policy of the Grand Island Public Schools not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, handicap, religion, or marital status in its educational programs, activities or employment policies as required by Title VI, Title IX, &Section 504.EOE/AA.