2013 Vermont Statutes
Title 16 Education
Chapter 133 STATE FUNDING OF PUBLIC EDUCATION
§ 4010 Determination of weighted membership

4010. Determination of weighted membership

(a) On or before the first day of December during each school year, the commissioner shall determine the average daily membership of each school district for the current school year. The determination shall list separately:

(1) Resident prekindergarten children;

(2) Resident pupils being provided elementary or kindergarten education; and

(3) Resident pupils being provided secondary education.

(b) The commissioner shall determine the long-term membership for each school district for each student group described in subsection (a) of this section. The commissioner shall use the actual average daily membership over two consecutive years, the latter of which is the current school year. If, however, in one year, the actual average daily membership of kindergarten through 12th grade increases by at least 20 students over the previous year, the commissioner shall compute the long-term membership by adding 80 percent of the actual increase, to a maximum increase of 45 equalized pupils.

(c) The commissioner shall determine the weighted long-term membership for each school district using the long-term membership from subsection (b) of this section and the following weights for each class:

Prekindergarten 0.46

Elementary or kindergarten 1.0

Secondary 1.13

(d) The weighted long-term membership calculated under subsection (c) of this section shall be increased for each school district to compensate for additional costs imposed by students from economically deprived backgrounds. The adjustment shall be equal to the total from subsection (c), multiplied by 25 percent, and further multiplied by the poverty ratio of the district.

(e) The weighted long-term membership calculated under subsection (c) of this section shall be further increased by 0.2 for each pupil in average daily membership for whom English is not the pupil's primary language.

(f) For purposes of the calculation under this section, a district's equalized pupils shall in no case be less than 96 and one-half percent of the district's equalized pupils in the previous year.

(g) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to enable clear and consistent identification of pupils to be counted under this section.

(h) On December 1 each year, the commissioner shall determine the equalized pupil count for the next fiscal year for district review. The commissioner shall make any necessary corrections on or before December 15, on which date the count shall become final for that year.

(i) The commissioner shall evaluate the accuracy of the weights established in subsection (c) of this section and, at the beginning of each biennium, shall propose to the house and senate committees on education whether the weights should stay the same or be adjusted. (Added 1997, No. 60, 18, eff. July 1, 1998; amended 1999, No. 49, 2, eff. June 2, 1999; 2003, No. 68, 39, eff. June 18, 2003; 2003, No. 130 (Adj. Sess.), 11; 2007, No. 62, 7; 2007, No. 66, 19; No. 82, 7, 8.)