Student Based Allocation (SBA) is a funding formula that distributes resources to schools according to student needs and characteristics. School leaders then decide how to use those resources to best support their students. As of the 2017-18 school year, IPS uses SBA to develop budgets for all schools.
Goals of SBA:
- Equity: Equitably fund each student at each school based on his or her educational needs.
- Flexibility: Provide principals more flexibility to make budgetary and academic decisions that meet the needs of their individual school.
- Transparency: Clearly show exactly how much funding each school receives and why.
SBA is about spending limited dollars wisely
The shift to SBA allows IPS to more efficiently direct resources to where students need them most; but it does not replace the need to make tough decisions about the way money is spent. SBA allows IPS to focus on investing in programs that work, protect the progress made, and put the interests of students first in every decision.