Eleven District 150 schools will split $1.3 million earmarked for underprivileged students under a plan still being finalized by school officials.

Okay, remember those numbers: 11, $1.3 million.

But the plan, nearly doubling the number of schools designated as Title I, comes at a cost to 13 other schools within the district already receiving the grants.

Ah, so 13 other schools already receive Title 1 funding. If we take that number, plus the aforementioned 11 schools that will be added, we come up with 24 schools total. Got it.

Despite the district increasing the number of Title I schools from 15 to 24, it won’t receive any additional money.

Wait a minute. Now they’re saying 15 schools already receive Title I funding, but the total is still only going to be 24, which is an increase of 9. This must be a typo; I’m sure they meant to say “from 13 to 24.” Maybe the editor will catch it before the paper copy goes to press.

Essentially, it would redistribute the same $7.5 million it receives annually.

What? How did we get from $1.3 million to $7.5 million? From the article, it appears the $7.5 million is the total funding District 150 gets, and of that amount, $1.3 million is going to be going to the 11 additional schools. But how is that figured? How did they arrive at that number?

Enrollment at the 13 additional schools represents a combined 5,000 students.

I thought it was 11 additional schools. Thirteen was the number of schools “already receiving the grants,” wasn’t it? This is so confusing!

Of the little more than $7.5 million District 150 receives, $2.2 million is set aside for pre-school, $755,000 for professional development, $75,500 for parental involvement and $255,000 for administrative needs. The remaining $3.5 million goes directly to the schools.

$2.2 million, plus $755,000, plus $75,500, plus $255,000, plus $3.5 million equals $6,785,500. Where does the other “little more than” $714,500 go? That ain’t chump change, especially on an annual basis!

Not being factored in is some $4.4 million in federal stimulus money headed for Title I programs at District 150.

Good, because none of the other numbers are adding up anyway. Does anybody at 1 News Plaza have a calculator?