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SFS Data Warehouse Calculations/Data Facts

Calculations

The following explanations provide calculation detail for data elements contained in the data warehouse.

Aid Value per Member

Derived from dividing the Aid Value by Aid Membership used in the October 15 Aid Certification for the selected year.

Choice/Charter Deductions

General Aid deductions associated with the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and the Milwaukee Charter School Program.

Milwaukee Parental Choice Program

The choice program is funded from separate, GPR sum sufficient appropriation established for that purpose. The cost of payments from the appropriation for the Milwaukee program is partially offset by a net reduction in the General Aid otherwise paid to MPS by an amount equal to 22.4 percent (in 17-18) of the estimated total cost of the Milwaukee program. That percentage drops to 19.2 percent (in 18-19), 16 percent (in 19-20), and 12.8 percent (in 20-21).

Milwaukee Charter School Program

The charter program is funded from a separate, GPR sum sufficient appropriation established for that purpose. The cost of the payments from the appropriation is offset by a lapse from the General School Aids appropriation to the general fund in an amount equal to the estimated payments under the program. The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is required to proportionately reduce the General School Aids for which each of the public school districts--including MPS--is eligible to be paid by an amount totaling the charter lapse.

For more information on the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and the Milwaukee Charter School Program, see the Legislative Fiscal Bureau Informational Papers.

Equal Aid/Shared Cost (percent)

Derived from dividing the Equalization Aid eligibility amount (Line H1) by Total Shared Cost (Line E4) from the October 15 Aid Certification for the selected year. Represents the pure aid to shared cost percentage prior to any Choice/Charter Deductions and/or October-to-Final Aid Adjustments.

Equalized Aid per Member

Computed by dividing the Equalization Aid certification amount (Line H6) by Aid Membership from the October 15 Aid Certification for the selected year.

Group Averages

Calculated by taking the sum of the primary column for the group and dividing it by the sum of the secondary column for the group, resulting in the weighted average.

Negative Aid Amounts

Per state law, three General Aid computations are performed each year:

  • on July 1 using unaudited Budget Report information;
  • in the October 15 Aid Certification using the best Annual Report information available; and
  • after desk audits of the Annual Report data submitted by districts are complete, usually in late April.

Differences between the October 15 Aid Certification and the final aid amounts for each of the four General Aid programs (both positive and negative) become the "October-to-Final Aid Adjustments" and are incorporated into the subsequent year's October 15 Aid Certification for the district. In cases where the district does not qualify for a specific aid program in the new year but has an adjustment in the specific aid program from the previous year, the adjustment IS the only aid amount in the new year. When aid is paid to districts, negative aid amounts from one aid program are netted against another of the district's aid programs. General Aid amounts appearing in the Warehouse represent actual computed amounts and do not incorporate netting across General Aid programs.

October-to-Final Adjustments

Per state law, three General Aid computations are performed each year:

  • on July 1 using unaudited Budget Report information;
  • in the October 15 Aid Certification using the best Annual Report information available; and,
  • after desk audits of the Annual Report data submitted by districts are complete, usually in late April.

Differences between the October 15 Aid Certification and the final aid amounts for each of the four General Aid programs (both positive and negative) become the "October-to-Final Aid Adjustments" and are incorporated into the subsequent year's October 15 Aid Certification.

Ranking Methodology

Computed by sorting the list by descending value and assigning a rank of one to the district with the largest value, two for the next largest value, etc. Should a district have had a zero value for a specific ranked set, no rank was assigned. So, in a set of 421 districts, a rank of 250 could possibly be the smallest value in that specific data set.

Revenue Limit per Member

Computed by dividing the Revenue Limit with All Exemptions (Line 11) by the Current Three-Year Average (Line 6) for the selected year. See Revenue Limit computation for more information.

Data Sources

The following explanations provide calculation data source information for data elements contained in the data warehouse.

Categorical Aid Data

Taken from Basic Facts Section E: Distribution of State Aid Dollars.

Comparative Cost and Comparative Revenue Data

Compiled from audited Annual Reports submitted to DPI by local districts.

General Aid Data

Compiled from the Equalization, Special Adjustment, Intragration and Integration Aid amounts from the October 15 Aid Certification files at DPI for the selected year. Actual vouchered amounts may differ due to Open Enrollment and Revenue Limit Penalty adjustments.

Revenue Limit Data

Taken from the final Revenue Limit Computation files at DPI.

Tax Levy Data

Taken from Tax Levy Certification Reports (PI-401) submitted to DPI by local districts.