The Conservative Cave

Current Events => Politics => Topic started by: Chris on March 09, 2009, 02:22:05 AM

Title: District of Columbia public schools spend $28,813 per pupil
Post by: Chris on March 09, 2009, 02:22:05 AM: This week, education secretary Arne Duncan referred to DC public schools as a district with â€œmore money than God.â€ Perhaps he was thinking of the $24,600 total per-pupil spending figure I reported last year in the Washington Post and on this blog. If so, heâ€™s low-balling the number. With the invaluable help of my research assistant Elizabeth Li, Iâ€™ve just calculated the figure for the current school year. It is $28,813 per pupil.

In his address to Congress and his just-released budget, the president repeatedly called for efficiency in government education spending. At the same time, the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate have been trying to sunset funding for the DC voucher program that serves 1,700 poor kids in the nationâ€™s capital. So it seems relevant to compare the efficiencies of these programs.

According to the official study of the DC voucher program, the average voucher amount is less than $6,000. That is less than ONE QUARTER what DC is spending per pupil on education. And yet, academic achievement in the voucher program is at least as good as in the District schools, and voucher parents are much happier with the program than are public school parents.

(more...) (http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/03/06/vouchers-vs-the-district-with-more-money-than-god/)
Title: Re: District of Columbia public schools spend $28,813 per pupil
Post by: RobJohnson on March 09, 2009, 02:24:47 AM: $28,813 per pupil?

Wow.
Title: Re: District of Columbia public schools spend $28,813 per pupil
Post by: Chris on March 09, 2009, 02:27:25 AM: I think Nashville/Davidson county spends about $12,000. Neighboring Williamson county has higher per-capita, family incomes, and property values but spends less, about $11,000. Williamson County schools outperform Davidson Co. schools in every measurable way.
Title: Re: District of Columbia public schools spend $28,813 per pupil
Post by: RobJohnson on March 09, 2009, 02:40:42 AM: I'm not a big fan of public schools. Nevada is in the hot seat with the Left for having one of the lowest per pupil spending. I am getting sick of the TV commercials about it!

http://www.npri.org/publications/spend-spend-again
Title: Re: District of Columbia public schools spend $28,813 per pupil
Post by: JohnnyReb on March 10, 2009, 07:03:31 AM: I guess I live among cheapskates then......thank god. We only spend $4,250 per student here.
Title: Re: District of Columbia public schools spend $28,813 per pupil
Post by: The Village Idiot on March 10, 2009, 01:41:16 PM: and they are still graduating illiterate boxes of rocks
Title: Re: District of Columbia public schools spend $28,813 per pupil
Post by: MrsSmith on March 10, 2009, 06:05:40 PM: Quote from: JohnnyReb on March 10, 2009, 07:03:31 AM
I guess I live among cheapskates then......thank god. We only spend $4,250 per student here.
When I checked Oklahoma public schools, it was about $1000 higher than yours. The local private Christian school...about $1000 LESS than your $4250. As my husband teaches at a local college, we know how much better the private school educates. I have no doubt that the money spent in DC produces LESS education.
Title: Re: District of Columbia public schools spend $28,813 per pupil
Post by: Splashdown on March 10, 2009, 06:42:00 PM: Yep. What we need is to throw MORE money at the problem. :whatever: