Page 32 - The Edge - Winter 2017

2016 LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE

BY DON HARRIS

ere Is More an One Way to Count Students

Larry Picus

Counting students should be as
easy as one, two three. What makes
it tricky is that there are two ways to
count them.
Larry Picus, Professor of Education
Finance and Policy at the University
of Southern California, answered the
counting question in a presentation
called: “How Hard Is it to Count
Students?” In doing so at a Legislative
Conference in November, he raised a
series of student-count questions that
indicated how hard it really is to count
students and then provided some
answers.
“What constitutes a student?”
Picus asked. “Any enrolled student?
Any student in actual attendance?
What about excused absences? What
makes more sense – enrollment or
attendance?”
Picus posed another dilemma.
Should students be counted where provides for a so landing,” he said. He noted that some rural
they live or where they go to school? Also, when do you count them school districts have encountered a signi cant loss in enrollment,
– current year or prior year, once a year, several times a year, or which poses “a serious challenge.”
every day? So, it’s really hard to count students.” Picus raised the issue of whether there are equity implications
ere are other factors in counting students. Picus questioned related to student count. “In many states, timing of property
whether students who move from one district to another during a tax distributions has implications of cash ow,” he said. “It’s my
school year are counted twice. “Determining weights for student understanding that local property taxes are distributed monthly
and district characteristics can be complicated,” Picus said. “ e and that cash ow is a function of total revenue. District state and
nal decision is o en political.” local revenue proportions do not impact cash ow as much as if
Picus recommended counting students by enrollment – basically property taxes were distributed when collected.”
average daily membership. “You need to fund places for all students If you want the most accurate pupil count, Picus said, you need
even if they don’t show up,” he said. to report attendance daily. “California does this,” he said, “but it’s
Some states count students based on the prior year’s enrollment. expensive and time consuming. Cash ow is adjusted four times a
“Arizona now uses the current year, using the 100-day average,” he year with a nal adjustment completed in the following scal year.”
said Jeremy Calles, Chief Financial O cer, Kyrene Elementary
en there are location issues, such as where the student lives School District, complained that current-year funding leaves little
or where he or she attends school. is raises implications for tax time to reconcile spending. “Current-year funding is so bad,” he
revenues and equalization, Picus said. said. “It’s not helping students. Let’s try to make it a little better.”
“In Arizona, the issue is impacted by charter schools, which are Recognizing that current-year funding may signal a trend, Picus
essentially state funded,” he said. “ ere is probably no reason to said, “When there is a speeding train running down the tracks, it’s
change from counting students where they attend school.” better to be on board than to stand in front of it.”
Commenting on enrollment uctuations, Picus recommended en he raised one last question: “But, what if it’s going the
dealing with decline by using a three-year rolling average. “ at wrong way?”

32 THE EDGE WINTER 2017
THE EDGE |