Mahomet-Seymour School District gets boost with Evidence-Based Funding

The Mahomet-Seymour School District has been allocated $1,480,045.5 million in Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) money from the State of Illinois in FY 2023 — $900,000 more than was expected.

Evidence-based funding was established five years ago as a way to help each school district reach “adequate funding” by sending more state dollars to under-funded districts each year. With 3278 students in the 2021-22 school year, Mahomet-Seymour is 64-percent adequately funded, placing them in the Tier 1 funding bracket. 

The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate, the number of special education or English language learners, among other factors. Each district’s Adequacy Target is the calculated cost to educate students within the district. With Mahomet-Seymour’s increasing enrollment, the district continues to be in the greatest need for additional funding, according to Chief School Business Official Heather Smith.

In 2018 and 2019, Mahomet-Seymour was listed as a Tier 2 district, receiving $259,355.17 and $227,124.36, respectively. As a Tier 1 district, Mahomet-Seymour received  $561,096.68 in 2020,  $561,096.68 in 2021, $833,387.54 in 2022 and $1,480,045.50 for FY 2023. 

That’s not all Mahomet-Seymour receives in state funding. Like every other school district throughout the State of Illinois, Mahomet-Seymour counts on “base” funding. In FY 2023, Smith budgeted for $11,320,228.81 in base funding. That amount includes tier funding from FY 2018-2022.

With $1.4 million in FY 2023 tier funding, Smith will now rely on $12,800,274.31 when she makes the FY 2024 budget. Next summer, the district will also receive another tier fund allocation. Smith said she will conservatively estimate $500,000 again, but final numbers will be based on the State of Illinois’ budget and the tier Mahomet-Seymour receives.

Smith said the district plans to spend about 99% of the EFB funds on staff, having already hired a second assistant principal at Mahomet-Seymour Junior High, and five classroom teachers. Smith said the district is still in negotiations with the Mahomet-Seymour Education Association, and while neither she or Superintendent Kenny Lee have commented on the negotiation process that has been ongoing throughout the summer months, she believes EBF money will be used within the negotiation process. 

Although EBF funding does not have to be spent on reducing class sizes or offering additional services to students in need, Smith believes the need to add more staff will be a consideration as Mahomet-Seymour continues to grow. While lowering class sizes is high on the list, the district also has benchmarks it must meet for students with needs and administrative staff. 

During the 2021-22 school year, the district added seven positions, filling all, and 6 more positions with ESSER money. One of those ESSER-funded positions has not been filled. 

Staff positions filled with ESSER dollars can only be funded with that source until 2024. The district will then have to find other means to pay those salaries. Smith said as some positions from previous years remain to be filled, it has given the district some wiggle room, although she still holds space for them within the budget, should they be filled. 

The State believes that Mahomet-Seymour will need to spend $12,229.85 per student to be adequately funded. According to the Illinois Report Card, the district spends $9,600 per student.

As Smith works to finalize the FY23 budget, which is not complete yet because of negotiations, the district will also deal with a lower-than expected EAV (equalized assessed value) percentage. Smith said the number came back from the Champaign County Clerk’s office at 2.61% growth, which is lower than the average over the last decade. Smith quoted recent EAV growth at 5%.

The district has emails into the Clerk’s office for clarification, according to Smith.

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