Points to Ponder

The money that has been paid out to restructure the education system has gone into establishing the new system, not into educating children.  Yet the system being established has never been proven to be anything but a failure in producing innovative, creative, intelligent children capable of reaching for the star or stars of their choice.

Six year growth rates for the district:

Year

Total Budget

FTE Pupils

Cost/FTE

FTE Personnel

M & O Levy

1992/93

$5,854,911

1,273.36

$4,598

99.955

560,633

1998/99

$8,886,810

1,500.401

$5,923

143.2681

1,062,887

Increase

$3,031,899

227.04

$1,325

43.313

502,254

% Increase

52%

18%

29%

43%

90%

1Figures from the 1999/2000 F-195 Budget – Projected.  As the budget figures for the 1999/2000 year budget were entered in July after students were dismissed for the 98/99 school year, these figures are probably pretty close to actual.

With only a 18% increase in the number of students served by the district, the budget has risen 52%, the cost to educate one child has risen 29%, the number of personnel by 43%, and the amount the district has asked taxpayers to fund, over and above what the state funds (M & O Levy), by 90%.  Were the goal to educate children, striving to achieve maximum efficiency for the money spent, these figures would be much more closely aligned.  This, however, is the norm under education reform, where the bureaucracy becomes top-heavy as the focus (or goal) is shifted from educating children to establishing, maintaining and sustaining "the system."

Source: F-196 Budget – Actual; F-195 Budget – Projected

Last Updated: 3/2000