The question
New Jersey school districts transferred funding when students enrolled in charter schools. Understanding the budget impact required examining both those transfers and the costs districts might avoid.
The work
The team combined school-aid, enrollment and budget data to estimate funding transfers, potential spending reductions and the remaining fiscal impact. District comparisons, tables and maps made the findings easier to examine.
What the report provided
A public report separated money transferred from estimated net budget impact and explained the assumptions behind the estimates. Potential savings depended on how costs could change; they were not documented savings achieved by the districts.
When this kind of work helps
When an evaluation needs to connect participation or enrollment changes to costs, compare organizations fairly and explain what the available data can support.