ELC publishes an annual guide comparing funding across New Jersey school districts using an accurate measure for school spending called “funding per weighted pupil,” or FWP. This measure allows for a fair funding comparison by accounting for the degree to which districts require extra resources to educate students with special needs.
As recognized in the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA), many students come to school with special needs that must be addressed to ensure them equal educational opportunity. The SFRA provides additional funding for poor (at-risk) students, limited English proficient (LEP) students, and students with disabilities. These extra funds are calculated as a percentage of the base student cost and called a “weight.” The “weighted student enrollment” accounts for the degree to which districts require extra resources to educate students with special needs.
To calculate funding per weighted pupil, each district’s state and local revenues are divided by their weighted enrollment.
Use the interactive report below to explore school funding across New Jersey. You can also find a more detailed discussion of ELC’s Funding Per Weighted Pupil analysis here:
2009-2010 2010-2011 2012-2013 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017
