Clarke Schools Getting Plenty Of Money

Read the column  here.

The above column was based on a presentation that I made at the second of the CCSD’s three public budget hearings (in a rather factual, polite, and non-confrontational manner, if I do say so myself).  When the meeting broke up, a single member of the Board of Education had a brief question about the statistic I used concerning Staff Services (see below).  The other five members of the Board in attendance, and all of the CCSD administration types who were there, had not the first word to say to me.  Such is entirely par for the course.  As usual, percentage and percentile calculations are my own.

CCSD FY 2013 Tentative Budget Presentation
http://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/files/14/fy2012-2013%20boe%20tentative%20budget%20presentation%20revised%2004-19-2012.pdf

Per Pupil and Total Expenditures from the Georgia Department of Education
http://app3.doe.k12.ga.us/ows-bin/owa/fin_pack_revenue.entry_form

CCSD FY 2011 Per Pupil Expenditures in the seven categories tracked by the Georgia Department of Education:
School Administration — $644.42 (17.58 percent above the state average of $548.08)
General Administration — $553.64 (22.88 percent above the state average of $450.56)
Instruction — $7,515.74 (30.59 percent above the state average of $5,755.13)
Pupil Services — $390.97 (31.56 percent above the state average of $297.19)
Maintenance & Operations — $1,060.34 (55.79 percent above the state average of $680.60).
Transportation — $753.20 (80.10 percent above the state average of $418.21)
Staff Services — $892.78 (100.99 percent above the state average of $444.20)

CCSD Per Pupil Expenditures:
FY 2011    $11,811.08
FY 2010    $11,360.09
FY 2009    $11,248.22
FY 2008    $11,180.05
FY 2007    $10,746.94
FY 2006    $9616.96
FY 2005    $9038.05
FY 2004    $8902.00
FY 2003    $8740.89
FY 2002    $8225.14
FY 2001    $7699.37
FY 2000    $7383.78
FY 1999    $7110.40
FY 1998    $6476.72
FY 1997    $6056.03
FY 1996    $5915.85

CCSD Total Expenditures:
FY 2011    $140,126,681.13 (FTE = 11,864)
FY 2010    $135,787,197.78
FY 2009    $132,560,274.19
FY 2008    $132,304,656.82
FY 2007    $122,676,358.17
FY 2006    $108,777,454.92
FY 2005    $101,750,418.08
FY 2004    $99,008,011.15
FY 2003    $96,053,605.15
FY 2002    $89,826,702.74
FY 2001    $83,961,638.61
FY2000    $77,884,098.32 (FTE = 10,548)
FY 1999    $74,758,695.78
FY 1998    $69,333,256.88
FY 1997    $64,775,274.85
FY 1996    $63,335,132.28 (FTE = 10,706)

Adjusted for inflation, the CCSD’s Total Expenditures for FY 2000 ($77,884,098.32) would have been $101,737,347.22 in FY 2011.  Of course, such an extrapolation does not take into account the change in the number of students, but the increase in that number in no way accounts for the growth in spending, (and is why Per Pupil expenditures is a better indicator of spending trends; the Georgia Department of Education uses FTE, or “full time equivalent” as its measure of student populations).  The fact that the actual expenditures for FY 2011 exceeded those accounted for by inflation by almost $40 million is staggering.

QBE Allotments from the Georgia Department of Education
http://app3.doe.k12.ga.us/ows-bin/owa/qbe_reports.public_menu?p_fy=2000

Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator
http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

US Inflation Calculator (will accommodate more digits than the BLS calculator above, though it uses the same BLS CPI data)
http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

Finally, I noted at the budget hearing that, according to data from the Georgia Department of Education, the Barrow County School District, located just up the road from Athens, has more students than the CCSD, makes do with fewer employees, has a student population the majority of whom qualify for free/reduced lunches, and has levels of academic achievement that are just as good as (if not better) than those of the CCSD . . . and does so with a budget that is $30 million less.

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