Prototypical School Model. The state's public school funding model allocates funding to school districts based on assumed levels of staff and other resources necessary to support a prototypical school serving an assumed number of students at defined elementary, middle, and high schools levels. The use of prototypical schools is intended to illustrate the level of resources needed to operate a school of a particular size using commonly understood terms such as class size, hours of instruction, and specified staff positions.
The structure of the formula, which appears in statute, provides allocations for classroom teachers at an assumed class size, plus other building-level staff. Based on these staffing ratios, the state uses salary assumptions for each of the different staff types to generate state funding allocations. The funding provided to school districts through the prototypical school formulas is for allocation purposes only, and districts have discretion over how the money is spent, subject to some limits.
The staffing ratios for teaching assistants, office supports, and noninstructional aides are as follows:
| Elementary | Middle | High | |
| Teaching assistance, including any aspect of educational instructional services provided by classified employees | 0.936 | 0.700 | 0.652 |
| Office support and other noninstructional aides | 2.012 | 2.325 | 3.269 |
The staffing ratios for teaching assistants, office supports, and noninstructional aides are increased to the following amounts for the 2024-25 school year:
| Elementary | Middle | High | |
| Teaching assistance, including any aspect of educational instructional services provided by classified employees | 1.292 | 0.800 | 0.768 |
| Office support and other noninstructional aides | 2.342 | 2.716 | 4.039 |
The staffing ratios for teaching assistants, office supports, and noninstructional aides are increased to the following amounts for the 2025-26 school year:
| Elementary | Middle | High | |
| Teaching assistance, including any aspect of educational instructional services provided by classified employees | 1.648 | 0.900 | 0.884 |
| Office support and other noninstructional aides | 2.672 | 3.107 | 4.809 |
Beginning in the 2026-27 school year and beyond, the staffing ratios for teaching assistants, office supports, and noninstructional aides are changed to the following amounts:
| Elementary | Middle | High | |
| Teaching assistance, including any aspect of educational instructional services provided by classified employees | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Office support and other noninstructional aides | 3.00 | 3.50 | 3.50 |