The student welfare count is fixed at the number on welfare in FY 1996-97. In addition to the weightings for educational need, student counts are also weighted extra when a district's school year is extended beyond 180 days or if it provides tuition-free summer school. Thus, its higher student count is further increased by need weightings. Haddam's need weightings are smaller but it receives an extra weighting for its extended school year. Each school district's wealth is determined by averaging the property tax base of its component towns and the income of their residents.
Income is measured on a per capita and median household basis.
The income factor is included because although taxes are based on property wealth, they are paid from income and thus affect a town's taxing ability . Haddam has a larger equalized net grand list than East Hampton as well as higher per capita, per-student, and median household incomes. The foundation is the level of per-student spending state aid helps towns achieve. The original foundation was the regular per-student education expenditures, weighted for educational need, in the town where the 80 th percentile student lived. But the General Assembly later froze the foundation amount and then set a statutory amount.