After you have read the Recommendations and done your due diligence on the Fair Student Funding (FSF)—while EAquitas is a start to familiarize yourself, please continue to learn more about school funding—what should we do?

The Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) is a public viewing and commenting session with 15 appointed members and the Chancellor (non-voting) to vote on educational policies.

In the recent PEP meetings, there have been discussions on the Fair Student Funding (FSF) formula and its implications. In the April 2022 meeting, the FSF failed to be reapproved by the Panel. The May 18th PEP meeting will continue to discourse about the FSF. While it would be optimal for the timeline of the next school year’s budget to reapprove the FSF, that does not mean we cannot voice our concerns about what is lacking in the FSF formula now. According to Lindsey Oates, the DOE Chief Financial Officer and overseer of the Task Force report, there has not been precedent to readjusting the FSF during the school year or after the budget has been given, however the PEP is open to further discussion on the FSF as it is most worthwhile and impacts every student. We all deserve it.

That said, once we gain more understanding of the FSF to recognize where it can improve, we ought to advocate at the PEP to appeal to the Panel on grounds of equity for all students.