House Bill 172 (1995 General Session) created the Highly Impacted Schools Program. The program provides additional resources for individual assistance to students at schools determined to be highly impacted. Program revenue supports "additional educational services in schools whose student demographic composition indicates a high concentration of students most likely to be at risk for academic failure" (USOE Finance and Statistics, MSP Descriptions, November 2006).

The program provides funding to approximately 50 schools with the highest rates of English language deficiency, student mobility, single parent families, free-lunch eligibility and ethnic-minority students. These schools serve communities where virtually all students are eligible for free lunch, where less than half of the students remain in a single school for the entire year, and where over half of the students speak a language other than English. The children who attend these schools experience living conditions that limit their potential for school success.

Formula -- Eligibility is determined every third year by a school's relative position within a ranked list of all schools that apply for funding. Each school receives a base allocation of $30,000. Remaining revenue is distributed proportionately.

Formula Restrictions -- Schools that receive Highly Impacted Schools funding must provide evidence that students attending the school have made academic gains.