23 Feb 2023 1:14 pm
I have a feeling, if you looked at the per student spending of most failing or struggling school districts, you will find the problem isn't the level of funding...it's how that funding is spent.
Two decades ago I served on a select citizen committee to put together a bond package for our school district. The first night, the State Rep for the district, a rep for the Texas Education Agency and a rep from the National Education Association (the largest labor union in the US) spoke to us. The NEA rep kept going on and on about how education in Texas was underfunded. Finally, the elected State Rep asked him a simple question; "How much per student in classroom spending is necessary to give Texas students a top quality education?" The NEA rep looked at him with a blank stare and mumbled a few words trying to change the subject. If you do not know that level of funding for schools in your district, there is no way in hell you can know if the schools are receiving the correct level of funding. At the time, in Texas the best performing districts average just under 10% of the budget for "administration", our district used 8.9% for admin. That told us, if we can get bonds approved the district will use the money correctly.
Two decades ago I served on a select citizen committee to put together a bond package for our school district. The first night, the State Rep for the district, a rep for the Texas Education Agency and a rep from the National Education Association (the largest labor union in the US) spoke to us. The NEA rep kept going on and on about how education in Texas was underfunded. Finally, the elected State Rep asked him a simple question; "How much per student in classroom spending is necessary to give Texas students a top quality education?" The NEA rep looked at him with a blank stare and mumbled a few words trying to change the subject. If you do not know that level of funding for schools in your district, there is no way in hell you can know if the schools are receiving the correct level of funding. At the time, in Texas the best performing districts average just under 10% of the budget for "administration", our district used 8.9% for admin. That told us, if we can get bonds approved the district will use the money correctly.