By The Numbers

Public K-12 Spending, Enrollment and Staffing

by

Hugh Kemper

Public K-12 spending, enrollment and staffing data is often confusing as different sources provide information in different ways at different times. To mitigate prevailing confusion, Geoffrey Norman asked for a snapshot of accurate and relevant data that could be updated periodically.

This table is my initial response to Geoffrey’s request. Feedback that will make this table more helpful to Vermont Tiger readers is welcome. 

The table provides spending, enrollment and staffing data as well as key staffing ratios for FY97 and FY08, the most recent year for which complete comparable data is available. For FY09 through FY12 the table provides education spending and enrollment data identified as actual, estimated or projected. Notes at the bottom of the table provide source references and comments explaining calculations contained within the table.

Those of us immersed in analyzing K-12’s data are immensely frustrated by VTDOE’s failure to provide timelier statewide spending, enrollment and staffing information. Vermont is currently four months into the FY10 school year and yet the most recent statewide staffing data is FY08 while the most recent enrollment and spending data is FY09.

As suggested here Vermont Tiger readers (and their friends and their friends’ friends) are urged to engage in disciplining their school districts’ budgets and in motivating their elected representatives in Montpelier to fundamentally and cost-effectively transform Vermont K-12’s anachronistic structure.

We get what we vote for – both locally and in Montpelier – and the solution begins with us.

Comments

[James Rude]

Hugh,is it possible to look at the rise in the cost of labor per pupil, broken down by wages and benefits? It could provide for good proxy for productivity.

[West Road Guy]

It would be interesting to a) inflation adjust the $ numbers, b) break out health care costs because they clearly are inflating at a faster rate, and c) further break down that shocking administration growth. Where are all those people employed and what are they doing?

[bob zeliff]

Well Done

Thanks

[Hugh Kemper]

To: West Road Guy and James
(1)Inflation- per FY08 SASRS the state and local price index for the FY97-FY08 period grew at an annual rate of 3.4%.
(2)Wages/Benefits- as total wages/benefits remained approximately 80% of current expenditures, their 6.8% annual growth rate per pupil is very close to the 6.9% annual growth rate per pupil of current expenditures. However, as you surmised, benefits (primarily healthcare) grew at an annual rate of 9.7% per pupil vs. a 6.1% annual rate for wages.
(3)I’ve just received the official equalized pupil count for FY11 budgeting purposes. I plan to update the numbers during the xmas week and will include at that time a detailed breakdown of the changes that have occurred within the administrative positions.