Uniform Per Student Funding Formula

The UPSFF is used to determine annual operating funding for the District's traditional and charter public schools. It also controls facilities funding for the public charter schools.

The UPSFF ensures that every District of Columbia public school student is funded at the same level, regardless of that student's choice of public school. The UPSFF also de-politicizes the funding process by providing a defined, stable, and predictable budgetary structure. Finally, the UPSFF, by linking funding to enrollment, creates competition in the education arena that encourages meaningful school improvement.

The UPSFF applies only to appropriations from the DC General Fund. DCPS receives funding outside the UPSFF for special education private placement and transportation and for other "state" functions. DCPS's capital expenses are funded from the District's capital budget. Money that comes to the schools from the federal government, other DC agencies, or through donation, also does not go through the formula.

Funding under the UPSFF is a straightforward mathematical process. First, each District-resident student enrolled in a DC public school is provided with a "foundation level" of funding, projected at $8,945 for FY 2010 (the foundation level is adjusted each year for inflation and can be increased or decreased by legislation). To the foundation are added various additional amounts, called "weightings," for students at certain grade levels and for students with special needs.

The funding derived under the formula follows the student. That is, DCPS receives formula-funding for every student who enrolls in a DCPS school. Each public charter school receives formula-funding for every student who enrolls in that school.

Both DCPS and the public charter schools are funded on the basis of their October 5 audited enrollment counts. The counts submitted by DCPS and each public charter school on October 5 are audited by an independent auditing firm hired by the State Education Office.

The public charter schools are funded for current-year enrollment. To give it time to adjust to enrollment declines, DCPS is funded for its previous year's enrollment.

DCPS receives its funds in the fall. The public charter schools receive 25% of their funds in July and receive additional 25% payments in October, January, and April.

Click here to see the full UPSFF (Opens in a new window)