Community Schools Funding Components

The Ohio law commonly known as House Bill (H.B.) 33 governs the funding of community schools. Before this law, payments to community schools involved deductions from the state foundation funding of the school districts where community school students are entitled to attend school. Under H.B. 33, community schools are funded directly with no deductions or transfers from a student’s school district of residence.

The funding calculation for community schools uses several concepts and formulas, some of which also apply to traditional school districts. The sources below comprise the foundation funding of community schools. Some of these funding streams do not apply to internet-based community schools (these will be pointed out).

The funding is phased-in for Base Cost, Special Education, Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid, English Learners and Career Technical Education. The statewide average base cost per pupil is used to calculate special education and English learners funding. The statewide average career-technical education base cost per pupil is used to calculate career-technical funding.
Presently, the fiscal year 2024 statewide average base cost per pupil is $8,242.19 and statewide average career-technical base cost per pupil is $9,854.98.

Base Cost

This is the core per-pupil funding for community schools. It is calculated by combining the five base costs as outlined under Ohio law. The per-pupil values for components #2, #3, #4 and #5 are calculated on the traditional school district side and then multiplied by community/STEM school ADM to determine the costs. The five base costs are:

  1. Teacher base cost – This is calculated by adding the classroom teacher, special teacher and substitute teacher base costs to professional development costs.
  2. Student support base cost – The formula is: [community/STEM school enrolled ADM * statewide average base cost per pupil for student support].
  3. Leadership and accountability base cost – The formula is: [community/STEM school enrolled ADM * statewide average base cost per pupil for leadership and accountability].
  4. Building leadership and operations base cost – The formula is: [community/STEM school enrolled ADM * statewide average base cost per pupil for building leadership and operations].
  5. Athletic co-curricular activities base cost for eligible schools only. The formula is: [community/STEM school enrolled ADM * statewide average base cost per pupil for athletic co-curricular activities]. To be eligible for this component, the school either has to be a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association or have three sports teams that participate in an interscholastic league.
There is also a student wellness and success portion of the base cost. This is restricted and should be coded using Unified School Accounting System (USAS) receipt code 3218. More information is available in this guidance.

Special Education

This is additional funding for special needs students identified as having handicapping conditions that fall within one of six broad categories of special education.
The formula to calculate these special education amounts is: [Special Education Category ADM * applicable weight * Statewide Average Base Cost Per Pupil].

Category Description FY 24 Weight 
1 Speech and Language Impairments 0.2435
2
  • Intellectual Disabilities
  • Specific Learning Disabilities
  • Other Health Impaired (minor)
  • Developmental Delay (preschool only)
0.6179
3
  • Deafness (hearing impairment)
  • Emotional Disturbance (SBH)
1.4845
4
  • Visual Impairments
  • Other Health Impaired (major)
1.9812
5
  • Multiple Disabilities (other than deaf-blind)
  • Orthopedic Impairments
2.6830
6
  • Deaf-Blindness
  • Autism
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
3.9554

Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid

This funding targets students identified as economically disadvantaged. Internet or computer-based community schools are not eligible to receive these dollars. The calculation for disadvantaged per-pupil impact aid is as follows:  [$422 * economically disadvantaged index for the school * number of students in the school enrolled ADM who are economically disadvantaged].

These funds are restricted and should be coded using USAS receipt code 3211. More information is available in this guidance.

English Learners

This funding targets students who lack proficiency in the English language. For each such student, the community school receives a per-pupil amount depending on the category of the English learner. Internet or computer-based community schools are not eligible for these dollars. The use of this money is restricted and should be coded using USAS receipt code 3217. More information is available in this guidance.

The formula for calculating is: [EL category ADM * applicable weight * Statewide Average Base Cost Per-Pupil].

Category Description FY 24 Weight 
1 Students identified as English learners following the state's standardized identification process and enrolled in schools in the U.S. for 180 days or less. 0.2104
2 Students identified as English learners following the state's standardized identification process and enrolled in schools in the U.S. for more than 180 days until the student achieves a proficient score on the spring administration of the state’s English language proficiency assessments. 0.1577
3 Students who achieved the proficient score on the spring administration of the state’s English language proficiency assessments (for two years after they initially earned the proficient score). 0.1053

Career-Technical Education

This funding targets students in career-technical education programs. Students are placed into five categories. The use of these dollars is restricted and should be coded using USAS receipt code 3215.

The formula for calculating is: [CTE category ADM * applicable weight * Statewide Average Career-Technical Education Base Cost Per Pupil].

Career-Tech Associated Services

These dollars are used for payment of services involving the delivery of career-technical education. The money is transferred to the Career Technical Planning District (CTPD) to which the school belongs. The formula for calculating is: [CTE categories 1-5 ADM * 0.0294 * Statewide Average Career Technical Education Base Cost Per-Pupil]
Category Description FY 24 Weight 
1 WFD in Agriculture and Environmental Systems, Construction Technologies, Engineering and Science Technologies, Finance, Health Science, Information Technology and Manufacturing Technologies. 0.6230
2 WFD in Business Administration, Hospitality and Tourism, Human Services, Law and Public Safety, Transportation Systems and Arts and Communications . 0.5905
3 Career-based Intervention Programs. 0.2154
4 WFD in Education and Training, Marketing, WFD in Academics, Public Administration and Career Development. 0.1830
5 Family and Consumer Science Programs. 0.1570

Career Awareness and Exploration

This is a new restricted funding category calculated using the following formula: [community/STEM School enrolled ADM X $7.50 in FY 24]. The money is calculated at the Career Technical Planning District (CTPD) to which the school belongs. More information about the use of these dollars is available here.

Threshold Cost Withholding

The threshold cost program supports reimbursement for costs exceeding the threshold to educate preK-12 students (including any students in Grade 23) with disabilities that fall under Categories 2-6. Starting with FY 22, 10% of the Special Education payment for community schools will be withheld to support this program. More information is available here.

Transportation

Some community schools choose to provide their own transportation services. In these cases, an additional calculation based on the statewide per-pupil transportation cost forming the basis of traditional district per-pupil transportation funding, will be applied to the number of students attending the community school. More information about community school transportation can be found in this guidance.

Equity Supplement

Beginning with FY24 and in accordance with H.B. 33 Sec. 265.285, the Department will pay brick and mortar community schools an Equity Supplement payment of $650 per student FTE. STEM school are not eligible for the equity supplement payments at this time. The formula for calculating this is as follows: [Community School Enrolled ADM X $650.00]

Formula Transition Supplement

A per-pupil funding guarantee for each community/STEM school that opened before FY 22 has been calculated. The schools that opened in FY22 and after do not have this supplement. The per-pupil guarantee is based on the following components from FY 21:

  1. Opportunity Grant
  2. Targeted Assistance
  3. K-3 Literacy Funding
  4. Economic Disadvantaged Funding
  5. English Learners Funding
  6. Special Education Funding
  7. Career-Technical Education Funding
  8. Transportation Funding
  9. Graduation Bonus
  10. Student Wellness and Success

The per-pupil guarantee for each school is listed here.

The formula used to calculate the Formula Transtion Supplement is as follows: [if (FY21 Per Pupil Amount) - (FY24 Per Pupil amount, inclusive of items F-Core Foundation Funding + G-Transportation Funding + H-Equity Supplement)>0 then use ((the calculated difference of the FY21 PPA and the FY24 PPA)*Enrolled ADM ) else 0]

Facilities Funding

Facilities Funding covers each community school established under Ohio law and each STEM School established under Chapter 3326 of the Revised Code. If the amount appropriated for facilities is not sufficient, the Department prorates each school’s amount. The formula is as follows:
[community/STEM school enrolled ADM * $1,000 (brick and mortar / blended school) or $25 (E-School) * proration factor]

Internet-Based Community Schools (E-Schools)

For internet-based community schools the funding components are:
  1. Base cost funding under Ohio law
  2. State Aid for Special Education and Related Services Funding as outlined in Ohio law
  3. Career Technical Education Funding as outlined in Ohio law
  4. English Learner Funding as outlined in Ohio Law
  5. Formula Transition Supplement
  6. Facilities

Last Modified: 10/5/2023 3:33:07 PM