By Brenna Angel
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-943911.mp3
LEXINGTON, Ky. – What appears to be a positive trend has created a budgetary problem for public school districts across Kentucky. Average daily attendance figures for the end of last fiscal year showed about 10,000 more students than originally anticipated.
Lisa Gross with the state Department of Education says that means all 174 public school districts will see a 2 percent drop in their per-pupil funding.
"Hopefully with the federal funding we've received and the small percentage cut that this actually represents, it won't cause dramatic harm to school districts. But it will be applied to all school districts. That's an equitable way to do it and really the way to sort of ease the burden on everybody."
The problem has happened before, most recently in fiscal year 2006. Gross says the latest unexpected hike in attendance was due to more students enrolling in the public school system, a change in the way attendance is calculated, and more students going to class.
Fortunately, Kentucky was awarded a nearly $135 million dollar federal EduJobs grant to help offset reduced appropriations at the state level.