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In Louisiana we have the added problem of a state run board called BESE. It always seems that anytime the state government finds a way to increase education funding, that state run board always gets their fingers in the pot before the school districts see a penny. Trying to maintain a racially balanced school system results in larger amount spent on the school buses as well as long time spent going to and from school by the students. We have the added problem of performing hurricane repairs or prepping the school for hurricanes. Just because a school building met standards when it was built doesn't mean ten to twenty years later it can stand up to hurricane force winds or a tornado which lurk inside hurricanes. If adminstrators are willing to spend a little extra money on HVAC and their control systems they can greatly reduce the overall cost of operation, increase class room comfort, reduce the spread of germs, and help to prevent the spread of mold in the building. Using special paint colors and textures will help students to be more alert in class. Using the right amount and color temperature lights will reduce eye strain while reducing energy usage. Investing in at least one general maintenance person per school to perform preventative maintenance as well as general light repair jobs would free up the greater repair crew for larger repairs or outsource to a repair service company. With such a large building population you have the added cost of regular fire alarm and sprinkler testing. The cost of upkeep and regular testing isn't cheap but it's benefits are priceless. If the school has a boiler, you can't imagine the work that goes into maintaining a boiler. Chemical water test, yearly inspections, testing safety switches (if some of these fail the boiler could explode) all go into keeping the boiler running properly. An improperly maintained boiler results in increased fuel usage or even a very cold building.
Stop in the district office and ask to see the budget, it will show you everything you need to know. Read the paper and see how much funding has been cut back in the past year. Drive by the gas station and look at the price of gas-multiply that by how many buses your district runs each day. It isn't so much that the money is spend vs not getting as much as they have had in the past.
We are lucky to be in a very financially healthy district. We have not experienced any cuts in the past several years, we win awards for the financial handling of our district. Bond referendums always pass. People here put their money where their mouth is and support the schools, as a result, we have some of the best schools in the nation. Even with all of that, our state and federal funding has been cut by 10,000,000 this year. That is a lot of money to make up in a school budget. Fortunately we have a good reserve account and won't experience much for cuts. One of our neighboring districts isn't so lucky. Their bond referendum failed the past few years, they are cutting 30 million out of their budget, class sizes are increasing, they are cutting programs, adding huge fees for participating in sports and other activities, etc.
What would your personal budget look like if you all of the sudden had a 30% cut in wages? You would have to cut back on some things just like the schools are.
LOL, actually my personal budget has been cut by 30% and then some. What I cut out was the fluff. The basics are still there. When money gets tight, you protect what matters and drop the fluff. Unfortunately, you can get away with fund raisers for drama or sports. Fund raisers for Physics just don't go over so well.
So now I have to decide whether to cut things out or pay for them myself. I'm cutting. My budget is tight enough with just my family's needs and my husband will kill me if I spend one more dime on my class. Can't say as I blame him. If I were buying extras that just make teaching more fun, it would be one thing. Having to buy basics is another. A class set of books is 10% of my pay for the year and I wouldn't even get a tax break on it.
How Spending Affects Success (http://education.uncc.edu/cmste/summer/2008%20World%20View%20of%20Math%20&%20Data%20Analy sis/Luci%20Duan%20and%20Jenny%20Xue.pdf - broken link)
Then there is the school district overhead but with 6 schools that would leave $4.36 million left over for them.
I can only conclude it is time to do away with busing. If busing costs that much to eat it up then we need to do something.
As I said, something doesn't pass the smell test. Teachers, what am I missing? Am I to low on my estimates? I think I inflated them plenty but maybe not.
Stop the buses and let the kids bring there own lunch?
As I said, I am a novice.
You forgot the seventeen layers of administration, the curriculum specialists, the three on-staff attorneys, the brand new administration building, the itinerant principals, the ten assistant superintendents (one of whom may be soliciting bribes from parents)...oh, wait. That's MY school district.
In Louisiana we have the added problem of a state run board called BESE. It always seems that anytime the state government finds a way to increase education funding, that state run board always gets their fingers in the pot before the school districts see a penny. Trying to maintain a racially balanced school system results in larger amount spent on the school buses as well as long time spent going to and from school by the students. We have the added problem of performing hurricane repairs or prepping the school for hurricanes. Just because a school building met standards when it was built doesn't mean ten to twenty years later it can stand up to hurricane force winds or a tornado which lurk inside hurricanes. If adminstrators are willing to spend a little extra money on HVAC and their control systems they can greatly reduce the overall cost of operation, increase class room comfort, reduce the spread of germs, and help to prevent the spread of mold in the building. Using special paint colors and textures will help students to be more alert in class. Using the right amount and color temperature lights will reduce eye strain while reducing energy usage. Investing in at least one general maintenance person per school to perform preventative maintenance as well as general light repair jobs would free up the greater repair crew for larger repairs or outsource to a repair service company. With such a large building population you have the added cost of regular fire alarm and sprinkler testing. The cost of upkeep and regular testing isn't cheap but it's benefits are priceless. If the school has a boiler, you can't imagine the work that goes into maintaining a boiler. Chemical water test, yearly inspections, testing safety switches (if some of these fail the boiler could explode) all go into keeping the boiler running properly. An improperly maintained boiler results in increased fuel usage or even a very cold building.
You are so accurate about school plant maintenance it is refreshing. If people understood the negative impact old flourescent lighting had on teacher and student performance they would demand a change. Especially in schools without windows. No natural lighting and old flourescent light bulbs=headache city.
You are so accurate about school plant maintenance it is refreshing. If people understood the negative impact old flourescent lighting had on teacher and student performance they would demand a change. Especially in schools without windows. No natural lighting and old flourescent light bulbs=headache city.
It's worse than you imagine. Where I work, an ignorant fool decided to cut utility cost by reducing the wattage of our fluorescent bulbs. That's a good idea except that he 1. stopped purchasing the original bulb size and 2. did not replace the ballast to match the new bulbs. Results? Old size bulbs burnt out, new bulbs don't exactly match the old ballast, and new light has a rapid strobe light effect. What makes this worse is this is a hospital. Going with a lower wattage light is fine until you try to reduce the light output to the point that you go back to eye strain. However, a control system set up to sense the amount of natural daylight and adjust the amount of artificial light is more ideal. That way you only use the amount of light you need. What's bad is some administrators are tempted to get the automated toilets, soap dispensors, sinks, and papertowel dispensors. We got them. They're neat until the batteries go dead or the motion sensor stopps working. Either way, it becomes a very expensive problem to maintain. Traditional toilets, faucets, and soap dispensors are cheap and easy to maintain. They're also cheap to replace when compared to the automatic models. For public schools, the best model paper towel dispensor I've found makes an automatic cut so that you only get one sheet at a time. There's no way to make paper towel dispensors idiot or trouble maker proof.
It's worse than you imagine. Where I work, an ignorant fool decided to cut utility cost by reducing the wattage of our fluorescent bulbs. That's a good idea except that he 1. stopped purchasing the original bulb size and 2. did not replace the ballast to match the new bulbs. Results? Old size bulbs burnt out, new bulbs don't exactly match the old ballast, and new light has a rapid strobe light effect. What makes this worse is this is a hospital. Going with a lower wattage light is fine until you try to reduce the light output to the point that you go back to eye strain. However, a control system set up to sense the amount of natural daylight and adjust the amount of artificial light is more ideal. That way you only use the amount of light you need. What's bad is some administrators are tempted to get the automated toilets, soap dispensors, sinks, and papertowel dispensors. We got them. They're neat until the batteries go dead or the motion sensor stopps working. Either way, it becomes a very expensive problem to maintain. Traditional toilets, faucets, and soap dispensors are cheap and easy to maintain. They're also cheap to replace when compared to the automatic models. For public schools, the best model paper towel dispensor I've found makes an automatic cut so that you only get one sheet at a time. There's no way to make paper towel dispensors idiot or trouble maker proof.
Oh I know how bad it is believe. Me part of the problem is the bid process and many of these kinds of decisions are made at the purchasing level and not the school based level. There may be good reasons for the decision but those good reasons may not be related to academic achievement.
[ If busing costs this much it is time to go back to neighborhood schools and let Johnny walk or ride a bike.
This is no lie. I live in a nice upscale modern apartment complex in a nice part of town in suburbia. The school buses drop the kids off at the side entrance to the complex. There are 9 buildings in the complex only 3 stories high. They cross ZERO streets and we have sidewalks inside the complex. Some parents wait in their cars at that side entrance to take their kids back through the parking lot to their building. The first time I saw it, I laughed hysterically. Now, I just feel sorry for those overprotected kids.
You have construction cost and that includes new buildings and additions.
I had construction for all new schools every 30 years factored into the budget with higher than average costs.
In case you missed it.
Quote:
A new school for 1,000 students with world class theatre, gym and everything new cost $20,000,000 and this is top of the line for everything. That's $20,000 per student per year.
Spread out over 30 years @ 5% =$107.36 per month per student. That's $772,000 which still leaves $727,008 left over.
Then there is the school district overhead but with 6 schools that would leave $4.36 million left over for them.
Kansas City spent as much as $11,700 per pupil--more money per pupil, on a cost of living adjusted basis, than any other of the 280 largest districts in the country. The money bought higher teachers' salaries, 15 new schools, and such amenities as an Olympic-sized swimming pool with an underwater viewing room, television and animation studios, a robotics lab, a 25-acre wildlife sanctuary, a zoo, a model United Nations with simultaneous translation capability, and field trips to Mexico and Senegal. The student-teacher ratio was 12 or 13 to 1, the lowest of any major school district in the country.
The results were dismal. Test scores did not rise; the black-white gap did not diminish; and there was less, not greater, integration.
The Kansas City experiment suggests that, indeed, educational problems can't be solved by throwing money at them, that the structural problems of our current educational system are far more important than a lack of material resources, and that the focus on desegregation diverted attention from the real problem, low achievement.
Yes and know that I missed it. In some areas of the country new schools cost up to 60 million and we are talking about not just replacement or renovation but new schools for growth. Some larger suburban districts at times are bringing multiple numbers of schools on in successive years. As population patterns change some schools in some districts lose students while nearby districts explode with enrollment. The issues are location based and a result of local conditions and needs. The greater Atlanta area was a great example a few years ago when population growth exploded there.
Where the money is going is there in each local budget for their tax payers to see. It is there in each state budget for their tax payers to see etc etc.
As I keep saying the issue is local, local, location etc. The link you give to Kansas City is a good example of a local funding issue. But to apply that across the board as indicating waste everywhere is open to critical thought and discussion. The local population knows what their goals are and they can measure the success of their initiatives per their expectations. Others elsewhere may not have their values and wants and probably don't matter in their grand scheme. Just like your budget is your personal budget and if some one out of state thinks you should have purchased a cheaper care who care? If you are trying to make some sort of political point ok, go ahead and if anyone wants to join in they will. But if you want to know where the money goes which I thought your post was about I provide readers a response. Read your local budget and participate in the budget process. Read your state budget and participate in the budget process. Oh yeah and read the federal budget and let your representatives know what you think about the education funding.
I thought the OP was posting about where does the money go from a technical/structural perspective.
How Spending Affects Success (http://education.uncc.edu/cmste/summer/2008%20World%20View%20of%20Math%20&%20Data%20Analy sis/Luci%20Duan%20and%20Jenny%20Xue.pdf - broken link)
First off I'm an amateur, I don't work in education but I do pay taxes which give me a right to voice an opinion.
Data is for 2006.
Page 6 is an eye opener.
Utah spent $5,437 per student where the average SAT score was 1,667 and they had an 84.4% graduation rate. I think Utah is ranked dead last in spending.
New York spent $14,884 per student where the average SAT score was 1,486 and achieved a graduation rate of only 65.3%
California spent $8,486 per student where the average SAT score was 1,520 achieving a graduation rate of 74.6%
What's going on here?
Average spending in the United States was $9,138, the average SAT score was 1,518 and graduation rates were 74.7%
This is not sustainable. A family with three kids cost an average of $27,414 per year for K through 12? How can we continue to pay this?
I don't think it is the teachers.
What does an average class have, 22 students? If so the it cost an average of $201,036 per year per class?
Looks like the highest paid (special education) is just below $45,000 on a national average. Let's add an additional $20,000 for health benefits, payroll taxes and retirement. That's $65,000 per year. Let's make it $70,000 per year for good measure. Just so I am clear I good teachers are worth this.
But take out the $70,000 from the $201,036 leaves $131,036.
Where does the $131,036 go? I know there are utilities, maintenance, supplies, administration and busing but this still seams seems like a lot of money.
We can expect a school with 30 classrooms to have 600 students (I left two classrooms empty) which would leave over $3,669,008 to fund a single school after all the teachers have been paid and while leaving two classrooms empty. $3.67 million is a lot of money.
1 Principal: $150,000 (these figures are at total cost which includes benefits)
3 secretaries @ $50,000 each: $150,000
3 janitors @ $50,000 each: $150,000
3 cafeteria workers @ $50,000 each: $150,000
30 classrooms costing an average of $300 per month in utilities: $108,000.
3 people to wander around and do nothing @ $60,000 each: $180,000.
3 people to keep the 3 that wander around company @ $60,000 each: $180,000.
2 people to keep the grounds clean, mow lawn @ $50,000: $100,000.
So far I am at $1,018.000 but I admit I don't have busing figured in yet but there is still $2,651,008 left over.
Something doesn't pass the smell test.
Cafeteria! 160 days x 600 = 96,000 meals. I know catering companies would love to cater peanut butter sandwiches with milk, carrot sticks and pudding served on Styrofoam plates for $12.00 a meal and serve the food too but which would mean we wouldn't need the cafeteria workers but we'll leave them in for good measure. 96,000 meals @ $12.00=$1,152,000 for lunch and this is assuming nobody packs and nobody pays.
We would still have $1,499,008 left over.
If busing costs this much it is time to go back to neighborhood schools and let Johnny walk or ride a bike. Looking at the size of some of these "little tykes" a one mile walk or bike ride wouldn't hurt a one of them.Building costs. A new school for 1,000 students with world class theatre, gym and everything new cost $20,000,000 and this is top of the line for everything. That's $20,000 per student per year.
Spread out over 30 years @ 5% =$107.36 per month per student. That's $772,000 which still leaves $727,008 left over.
Then there is the school district overhead but with 6 schools that would leave $4.36 million left over for them.
I can only conclude it is time to do away with busing. If busing costs that much to eat it up then we need to do something.
As I said, something doesn't pass the smell test. Teachers, what am I missing? Am I to low on my estimates? I think I inflated them plenty but maybe not.
Stop the buses and let the kids bring there own lunch?
As I said, I am a novice.
It's this way with EVERYTHING the government runs. It's all the hands that are out taking their piece of the pie, from the time you submit your tax payment, until the teacher gets their check! Everyone has to get a little. Same thing with medicaid, same thing will happen if we go through with universal health care. The government and those running it, at the upper levels are corrupt! This includes states, cities, counties, and at the federal level.
I once lived in a small town and called my local medicaid fraud board to report fraud with medicaid spending that I knew was happening. At that time, I had documentation, witnesses and so on. Boy was I in for a super rude awakening. The entire industry, from those who enforce the laws, to those who bill for false services are all in bed with each other. At least where I came from. They all wine and dine together and pat each other on the back. It's a big racket, top to bottom. I was literally told to go on my merry way. I did my own investigating later and found the people who were doing the alleged illegal stuff and the enforcement department all were buddies! After I reported these findings, the agency I was reporting starting laying off dozens of workers and "lost" file cabinents full of documentation. It was incredible to me!
This is why your numbers don't add up pal. And they never will either. It's called the fleecing of America! It goes on all across this country, in small towns and big cities alike.
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Can't say as I blame him. If I were buying extras that just make teaching more fun, it would be one thing. Having to buy basics is another. A class set of books is 10% of my pay for the year and I wouldn't even get a tax break on it.
