Morehouse schools losing $1.2 million
Morehouse Parish Schools are set to lose $1.2 million from Minimum Foundation Program funds because of a loss of students.
Ersula Norwood, business manager from the district, said the district lost 170 students between the Feb. 1, 2015 and Oct. 1 student counts that determine the MFP for each district. An additional 20 students left the district between Oct. 1 and Feb. 1 of this year. Norwood said the losses were seen district-wide, including at Delta Magnet School.
Norwood said information provided to her from the Louisiana Department of Education reads as follows:
"If the current year Oct. 1 midyear student count is more or less than the prior year Feb. 1 student count, an adjustment to the current year allocation shall be made for each student gained or lost. The October adjustment equals the number of students gained or lost times the annual state cost per pupil allocation amount for the system (Morehouse is $6,883) or school in which the change occurred. The February adjustment equals the number of students gained or lost times one-half of the state cost per pupil."
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October and February mid-year adjustments are combined and applied in the June payments.
Using that information, Norwood said the total cost will be a loss of $1,170,110 for the 170 students who left between Feb. 1, 2015 and Oct. 1 ($6,883 per pupil). The 20 students who left between Oct. 1 and Feb. 1 of this year will account for a loss of $68,830 ($3,441.50 per pupil).
Norwood said the school board has asked the child welfare and attendance supervisor to investigate why so many students have left, and the board is in the process of finding a new superintendent. She said there are no definite plans about what options the district might explore to deal with the losses.
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