Here are some details.
* We spend $15,798 per pupil, with revenues that amount to $19,780 per pupil.
* Most of the money spent is derived locally (54.9%) with the state (38.7%) and federal government (6.4%) contributing much smaller amounts. In most states, the state government contributes far more tto public education.
* The lion's share of the money received is spent on instruction ($9,719). Only $679 goes to school administrators.
* Pennsylvania has dramatically increased spending (13.2%) over the last three years
There was a ti8me when the state spent 50-50 with the locals. The state has backed out. Yet people continue to vote for the same republicans and democrats then bitch about the results.
ReplyDeleteLuv me sum Merica!
We certainly are not getting our money's worth and neither are the students.
ReplyDeleteAmen. More propaganda than education.
DeleteThe teachers union is way more powerful than it should be, and is continually demanding more for less results. The whole educational system should be brought into the modern age. The whole idea of busing kids to a large fancy building is obsolete. There could be a nationwide ability to do interactive learning over the internet. Using the best teachers in the country to conduct classes to large segments of the population. There could be unlimited choices of courses and kids should be allowed to progress at their own rate. The whole system needs to be re thought, We are still using 19th century methods and paying 22nd century cost. We could cut costs and improve outcomes except for one thing. The radical Teachers Union. They use extortion and the power over the kids to resist any change. The union come first the kids are a tool to benefit them. Keep in mind that many teachers are fine people and do their best for their students, but we have a system in need to complete overhaul. Sports should be stripped out of the public system and conducted privately as with youth leagues. Huge amounts are spent on facilities rather than real education.
ReplyDeleteOh brother, what a dreary world you paint. Thank God you are not in control of anything.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any proof that teachers' unions are resisting meaningful change, or do you just not like unions, so if there is something wrong it must be their fault?
ReplyDeleteThe idea that outcomes of public schools would improve with online learning is preposterous. Students need to be able to actually meet their teachers and peers.
"We spend $15,798 per pupil, with revenues that amount to $19,780 per pupil."
ReplyDeleteNot sure I understand where the rest goes. Don't know of any school district that makes a profit.
For what it's worth, this morning's MCall had articles about several school districts. Bethlehem reports a budget of $289.9M for 13700 students (> $21000.student).
I work with both students and adults on various aspects of education.
The issues I've seen have nothing to do with school districts not spending money.
I love how 7:47 begrudges teachers for being unionized. You know what happens when we as a society generate unions? We end up with most jobs paying between $10-15 an hour and people barely managing to get by. Likewise, if teachers weren't unionized, the cheap bastards like 7:47 who has no cares beyond himself would insist teachers get paid the absolute bare minimum so they too can just scrape to get by.
ReplyDelete"Generate" should have been "denigrate".
ReplyDeleteAmen 9:18. People who bash unions are folks who would cut off their nose to spite their face. They do not connect the dots between the growing wealth gap of those at the top and the workers that got them there...that gap is heading towards where it was in the Gilded Age when unionization was stifled by the robber barons and the government they so firmly controlled. Think about why there is a push to increase the minimum wage for example. Because more people are among the WORKING poor. Companies will pay as little as possible for as long as possible, there is no corporate social responsibility, just the bottom line to shareholders. And remember, the WORKING poor then need to rely on SNAP and housing subsidies just to get by which WE pay for. So these same corporations rely on us tax payers to actually carry the load. Cuz remember, corporations are evading taxes big time.
ReplyDeleteLook here are the major issues of the Pennsylvania school system.
ReplyDelete1. Charter Schools. These are blood sucking problems for school districts especially in the Lehigh Valley Area. These force the school districts to pay the per pupil rate and while they get massive breaks from the State and are huge profit organizations with little oversight.
2. Pensions, I'm sorry don't get me wrong Teachers have a tough job and sometimes depending on the area don't get great compensation but look pension reform needs to happen. The U.S. Government is doing it and I know PA has made some improvements on it but people are living longer and healthcare isn't getting any cheaper. I have a family member who was a teacher retired at 60 and was making more money off her pension then she did when she taught. It's a massive burden that the state is consistently trying to juggle as more and more are becoming in the age of retirement.
3. Education itself. The Federal government needs to step off and allow the School district themselves figure out how to best crack the nut. Every district is different and the educators on the ground have a way better idea on how to instruct students and get them ready for the standardize testing then the stuff like No Child Left Behind, Common Core, etc. Kids aren't getting any smarter and the public education system isn't setting them up for success in the real world.
School boards need to take a good hard look at themselves in the mirror as well and not be afraid to call a spade a spade and think wisely before spending the tax payers money. Older Pennsylvania can not afford the consistent rise of property taxes.
Actually, I was quite impresssed to learn that most of the money in Pa goes to instruction.
ReplyDeleteImpressed
ReplyDelete10.52, yes and the greatest obstacle to pension reform is the teachers union. who is unwilling to give up anything, there is no one in the private sector who can get 100% of their salary after retiring, and also health care benefits. All the the expense of people who are struggling to pay their taxes and provide for their families.
ReplyDeleteAs far as school boards they are stacked with people who are either educators or family members of educators, there are very few school board members that are advocates of taxpayers. They are mostly teachers, and those who are addicted to sports spending. Anyone connected to the education business should not be allowed to be a school board member. It is a great conflict of interest. It is a system of envy, keeping up with the other schools appearance. And the answer is always, just raise the taxes, there is no management. just spend on what we want and then raise the taxes.
ReplyDeleteMost goes to instruction?
ReplyDeleteNumbers don't add up.
Spend $15,798 per pupil
Revenues $19,780 per pupil
Spent on instruction $9,719 per pupil
???
PA overspends for education vs its means. The results would be laughable, if not so disastrous. We pay top ten prices per student for bottom ten performance. More money doesn't guarantee better results. In PA, more money has delivered worse results. But but but .... it's for the children .....
ReplyDeleteOk, now for some facts. Teachers DO NOT get 100% of their salary as pension. The formula is 2.5% X years of teaching = % of final 3 years of salary averaged...AND teachers have paid 7% yearly towards their pension every year that they teach. Oh, and by the way, that multiplier is now 2% because of a PA pension reform that took place in 2011. There is no district in the Valley that pays for medical once you are retired (except for a very few that may have a capped lump sum). As far as sports, that is something that the communities clamor for and is the reason some kids stay in school. Think a little before you go off on rants against a part of your communities' infrastructure that makes your property values higher when it is fully funded and able to develop valuable citizens. Examples: Parkland and Emmaus: they benefit from high real estate values due to desirable public schools that are well funded. They derive much of their local revenue from the industrial parks and businesses that cling to the Rt. 22 corridor. The majority of parents that live there DEMAND excellence and the district has the business tax base to support it. Not to mention that they have alot fewer students whose families live in poverty (like Allentown), those students cost alot more to educate because they are behind in many ways from the get go. This fact makes the argument for state funds being proportionately applied to the neediest schools, not to the Parklands and Emmaus's of the state.
ReplyDeleteThe 2% multiplier is for anyone hired as a teacher since 2011 to keep the record straight.
ReplyDeleteThey do get 100% if they worked for 40 years, hence possible age 62. Newer teachers will get 80%. Only politicians and government workers get those kind of pensions
ReplyDelete1:49 VERY FEW teachers work for 40 years. 30 is typical at which point they get 70% if hired before 2011 and 60% if hired after that. You conveniently leave out their yearly contribution to their pension every year that they teach which is actually 7.5%. So on a salary of $60,000 per year they are paying $4,500 of that towards their pension. For those who feel this is a good dea,l it is. So why aren't there people going to college in droves to be teachers, lord knows we could use them as there is a shortage right now? How about the generous pensions for cops and professional firefighters who can retire after just 20 years? Why aren't people signing up for these jobs like crazy either? Maybe because with their level of education, most people could earn more in the private sector than if they were teachers and, maybe, because they don't want the danger associated with being cops or firefighters. The pensions are just one of the factors that help to draw folks into these jobs that would go largely unfilled or underserved by members of the public. Instead of envying those who step up to do these jobs why aren't you more concerned with stopping the bleeding of the defined benefit pension plans many people used to get in the private sector? Many of those plans were destroyed in corporate mergers and acquisitions because they were used as a pot of money to sweeten the deals, the workers who were counting on them be damned!
ReplyDeletePerhaps it has changed, but the percentage from a school district's budget, which goes towards instruction, or the classroom, is no more than 15%. The largest chunk goes towards salaries and benefits. Teachers, support staff and administrators included. Districts tend to be "top heavy" with administration. School districts would not be unique in the high cost of salaries and benefits. The largest driver of cost increase for our municipality, in the latest budget, was health care costs, benefits. Just the reality presently. The higher percentage mentioned in the article for instruction should be clarified. It is somewhat misleading as stated. Make no mistake, for good or for bad, depending on your perspective, the unions represent their membership. To say the teacher's union has only the best interest of the children in mind is naive. They may have the best interest of the child in mind if it is in their best interest also. Saying such does not make me a union basher. It is the reality. With the help of vouchers, parents with different preferences (such as prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, sex education or other hot-button issues in education) could have their wishes fulfilled by enrolling their child in a private school of their choice. Instead of being divided, parents with different preferences would not have to contend with such issues which exist in government run (public) schools. Money seems to be of concern when it comes to school choice, but not so much the salaries and benefits of all school district employees, especially the pension issue and the ever growing “need” for administrators high pay and benefit packages.
ReplyDeleteTo the person who said that Charter Schools are a problem for public schools, I'd remind them first that Charter Schools ARE public schools.
ReplyDeleteI'd also point out that charters receive the amount it costs to educate the student, so they're actually less expensive.
Any district that had to absorb charter students back into their traditional schools would be crushed with the costs of building new schools and adding additional staff and teachers.
And if traditional public schools don't like charters, I have an easy solution: improve the product of traditional public schools. Then parents will WANT to send their kids to traditional public schools. Problem solved.
The best thing any district could do is approve enough charters for all students, close the existing schools, and manage the charters and their performance. It would enable parental choice across the entire district, and allow districts to actually save money. With brick-and-mortar charters typically outperforming the traditional publics, that would be a win-win for taxpayers and students.
3.42
ReplyDeleteso how many charter schools accept handicapped or special needs students?
charter schools tend to cherry pick students.
To keep their test scores high anyone who fails gets kicked to a public school.
Some charter schools will teach say evolution is only a theory and global warming a myth along with the civil war was about state's rights.
so when little Buffy gets told that the War of Northern Aggression how does one change that to the truth?
the charter school just says "do not let the door hit you in the ass when leaving"
Some charters are religious schools but without saying a religious dogma to skirt the law.
So charter schools cause problems.
3:42PM First off let me dispell pretty much everything you say because Charter Schools are a huge problem.
ReplyDelete1. When a child leaves the district in order to attend a charter school that school has now lost the funding for that student and must be paid by the school district to that charter school. So for example if 10 kids decide to leave the district and go to charter school and lets say the district gets $15,000 per kid (double in some cases for those with special needs) That district has now lost out on $150,000 dollars but guess what. The lights still have to stay on, the heat, the AC the janitors still need paid, the cafeteria workers, the buses still need driven. Did you know that even if the Charter is a virtual charter they get the FULL $15,000 per kid even though they do not have the infrastructure need like the public school. Do you see where this is a problem. On top of that Charter schools get to charge tuition on top of that. Oh you may say most kids get scholarships to cover the tuition.....do you know where those scholarships are paid from? Businesses pay the state so they can get MASSIVE tax breaks that do not go to public schools. Google Bethlehem and the struggles they are having with Charter Schools. Ask Abe Atiyeh, how the millions are he gets paid in rent by Charters is treating him. There is no oversight on a charter school and their curriculum , safety, or business practices. They care about the bottom line. It's a CEO run business remember that.
Let me give you $10 dollars and expect to maintain the lifestyle of $20 dollars that's what you're saying when you said GET BETTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS. They physically can't its the world where quality comes with money.
Also, lets dispel a couple more myths here. Brick and Mortor charter schools DO NOT outperform public schools in this area for sure...they are either the same or worse. Also, the pledge is still said in public schools, we do it EVERY morning in our high school and our entire district so whoever has heard this needs to step inside an actual public school around here. In fact, that would be a good idea for any citizen who wants to see how their taxpayer money is being used and what education today is actually like. Otherwide all of you are going on second hand information and speculation.
ReplyDelete"The lights still have to stay on, the heat, the AC the janitors still need paid, the cafeteria workers, the buses still need driven."
ReplyDeleteYour argument implies that all schools are below capacity.
At least in Allentown, we keep hearing the district needs more money because they have so many students, they need to build more schools.
Can't have it both ways.
So, the last few writers make it clear, It is not about the children, nor the Parents ability to raise their children in the way they feel is best, It is all about the money, fear that some of their money will be diverted to other schools or other forms of education. The best interests of the children should be number 1 priority, not the wishes of the education lobby. 2.16 I hope you are not a teacher,but I bet you are. 2.5 x 30 is 75 not 70 . 4.26 Evolution is still a theory and has been called that since Darwin introduced the theory of evolution. I hope you are not a teacher. So it sound like you all want to indoctrinate and not teach all points of view and let the students decide which is true. Another good reason to reform the public school system. Keep writing it is enlightening.
ReplyDeleteEvery year school taxes go up and the quality of education decreases. Teacher student ratio worsens and pension costs increase. Teachers and administrators need to be held accountable. Need to stop blaming unfunded mandates. Teachers are overpaid based on the hours they work compared to all other industries.
ReplyDelete11:16, Darwin did not introduce the theory of evolution. He introduced the theory of evolution by natural selection. Also, the word theory does not mean the same thing in science as it does in common parlance. what you call a theory is what scientists would call a hypothesis. To scientists, theories are broadly accepted explanations of natural phenomena that are testable. Evolution by natural selection has been repeatedly tested, even in the laboratory, and it turns out it's real.
ReplyDeleteIf your children go to a school that is teaching "points of view" or allowing them to decide what is true, you should move them to a different school, preferably one that teaches facts.
Sincerely,
an evolutionary biologist
Anon2:16 why aren’t there people going to college in droves to br teachers ? - I’d question why a lack of male teachers . Well I heave to believe because there is no draft. If we were in conflict (Like Korea -Vietnam) they’d be jumping in again , look around you . What do you see? 20 @and out jobs are usually ones that were issued firearms. Special Agents in Tresury for example and armed forces. School taxes are too high . EASD board has no respect for the “tax payer “ they waist money on bad decisions,buses, copy paper ,you name it. Look around,what do see? “I fell in a hole and I can’t get out”. Type that in Google- This is EASD .
ReplyDeleteYes, maybe we need affirmative action for more male teachers, if the ratio was this bad in any other industry, there would be lawsuits etc all over the place.
ReplyDeleteIt should be affirmative action for male heterosexual teachers, there seems to be enough of the other kind.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean? Please, say more.
Delete11.16
ReplyDelete"So it sound like you all want to indoctrinate and not teach all points of view and let the students decide which is true."
So the Civil war was just Northern aggression?
Lee was not a traitor and was a patriot?
While you are at it there are plenty of people(around the world) who think the world is flat--so that point of view needs to be taught?
The Aztecs thought blood sacrifices made the crops grow-so this has to taught when teaching kids about how a farm works?
sounds like "teach all points of view" is the way for some charter schools to push dogma and deny reality.
if that is what parents want for their children they can pay for it themselves instead of expecting people who live in the real world to pay for it.
GOVERRRMENT SCHOOLS HAVE FAILED AND THEY WILL NEVER RECOVER BILL O' REILLY IS RIGHT THEY ARE A COMPLETE FAILURE...
ReplyDelete10.52, yes and the greatest obstacle to pension reform is the teachers union. who is unwilling to give up anything, there is no one in the private sector who can get 100% of their salary after retiring, and also health care benefits. All the the expense of people who are struggling to pay their taxes and provide for their families.
ReplyDeleteWeird. Teachers don't get health care after retirement. Obtain a clue before making an ass of yourself.
Perhaps it has changed, but the percentage from a school district's budget, which goes towards instruction, or the classroom, is no more than 15%. The largest chunk goes towards salaries and benefits. Teachers, support staff and administrators included.
ReplyDeleteStaffing cost is instructional costs. I'm not sure your point. Thats like saying the cost to build an automobile is $3000 once you remove the salaries of people building it.
June 14, 2019 at 9:34 AM
ReplyDeleteDepends on how budgetary spending is broken down. If you break it down by functionality, yes salaries and benefits are included in instruction. If you break it down by object, then salaries and benefits are broken out separately. Educational "supplies", things that are incorporated into classroom use, such as pens, pencils, markers, books, A/V equipment etc., is where you would get the no more than 15% amount. Either way the largest chunk of a school district budget goes toward salaries and benefits. Your point is well taken. I just think that to be as fair as possible, we should compare apples to apples when looking at numbers. Statistics, numbers, can be manipulated and spun to paint any picture in defense of any side on any issue.
They are killing us and themselfs .Easton Football for example is basically non productive as I see it. Most go to higher paying jobs “in the end” . ,look at the results. - The Lacrosse players excell ,their parents pay the blont of costs . EASD spends a small percentage on them and most go to college that mean something.- Basketball is another loser too percentage wise. I know what your thinking but look at the cost to non- participants that are tax payers .Close the pool make classroom s there . EASD is “ I fell in a hole and I can’t get out, it’s not my fault “”.gogle that and see if I’m right .I sign my name .
ReplyDeleteThe Major Problem Is management. The rules say an appointment has to go to a academic “ teacher” . It says it has to be one of them . What is iin effect a default from hiring real business talent from a retired proven corporation manager. Ford Motor !Westinghouse , Google ,or ATT. House crap they are inbread at the top . Because of their age guys like KISH ,and FURST,2-s defurmant folks that took to school teach n to avoid the draft (I say cowards)but that’s my option , - and they would not have been drawn to teaching otherwise but to avoid draft and now they want to be incharge of an 60 million dollar budget! - By my in scienctifice estimation they were both frauds and should have their pension s revolved .But that’s me. Tell me after you digest this comment if you agree . I sign my name as a TAXPAYER.
ReplyDeleteThe school s should be open all year long . Studants should take classes in “blocks” . That affords families to take their vacations in several moth opinions.The are getting paid to work a year . Or 2,000 hrsto 2,200 hrs a year. they don’t do now . So let’s fix it.
ReplyDeleteHow about this - Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield , U.S.Navy. a combat helo pilot and warrior during a war is also a PHd . In education amount other things . She is one of my hero’s . She will now lead U.S.Naval War Collage from her command in Guam . Emagin if she ran the school district,think about what she would do. Trouble is people that run the school district are like tired noodles that have been the Boul waiting to be eaten- FOR Six hours. They are gutless.
ReplyDelete