Alternative school funding in South Carolina: A proposed redistribution funding model based on the degree of presence of student risk factors

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree to which funding for alternative schools in South Carolina could be redistributed based on the degree of presence of 7 student risk factors found in each of the 86 school districts in the state. An alternative school funding model was developed that produced funding allocations by using a "cumulative need score" as a proxy for the magnitude of educational need in each of the districts.; The study examined the current funding allocation model used by the state, and included a discussion of the policy implications of using an index-of-need based funding model in South Carolina. The study also addressed: The Concept of At-Risk; The Concept of Alternative Education; Types of Alternative School Programs; Equity Dimensions of Alternative School Funding in South Carolina; and Significant Indicators of Student Need that Impact the At-Riskness of School Districts.; Redistributed alternative school funding allocations for each of the 86 school districts were found to be fair and equitable based on the presence of the 7 indicators of need used in the study and the size of the school district.