Paul A. Stearns: A school efficiency plan the state can't afford
Bangor Daily News, May 23, 2007
(excerpt) Total spending on education is rising at over 9 percent per year under "essential" programs and services. This is during a time when student population is declining. An educational system that many recognize as one of the nation’s best should not require that amount of growth per year. He is correct by saying that this is not sustainable. Leadership in the Department of Education, Legislature, and yes, Mr. Carignan, your state school board need to make some difficult choices about what is truly "essential" and what isn’t. The increases in administrative spending over the past four years are directly proportional to the increase in "administrivia" required to manage various debacles, such as the "local" assessment system. Cut some of the mandates, both state and federal, and we will cut the administrators, and associated costs, that are required to oversee them.
Where is all the money going? For kicks, I compared the cost per pupil of SAD 4 with cost per pupil in the district where Mr. Carignan resides. His home system is one that happens to have 2,977 students while SAD 4 has 780. His system spends $9,136 per pupil/per year. SAD 4 spends $6,752 per pupil/per year. The difference is $2,384 per pupil every year. If SAD 4 spent that amount per pupil, then every year we could hand each one of our graduates a check for $30,000. Think about that.
(excerpt) Total spending on education is rising at over 9 percent per year under "essential" programs and services. This is during a time when student population is declining. An educational system that many recognize as one of the nation’s best should not require that amount of growth per year. He is correct by saying that this is not sustainable. Leadership in the Department of Education, Legislature, and yes, Mr. Carignan, your state school board need to make some difficult choices about what is truly "essential" and what isn’t. The increases in administrative spending over the past four years are directly proportional to the increase in "administrivia" required to manage various debacles, such as the "local" assessment system. Cut some of the mandates, both state and federal, and we will cut the administrators, and associated costs, that are required to oversee them.
Where is all the money going? For kicks, I compared the cost per pupil of SAD 4 with cost per pupil in the district where Mr. Carignan resides. His home system is one that happens to have 2,977 students while SAD 4 has 780. His system spends $9,136 per pupil/per year. SAD 4 spends $6,752 per pupil/per year. The difference is $2,384 per pupil every year. If SAD 4 spent that amount per pupil, then every year we could hand each one of our graduates a check for $30,000. Think about that.
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