Understanding the Budget #1: Our High Cost Per Pupil

I am going to try to lay out details about the budget as best as I can with what I know. As always, please remember that if I get anything wrong or inaccurate to let me know. I prefer that we all understand this based on accurate information.

A primary complaint about our budget centers on our high cost per pupil. In its simplest form this takes our budget and divides it by the number of kids. However, many factors make comparing this cost from one district to another far more complicated. Here are some of the challenges including how these impact our rate.

1. Special Education: It costs more to educate children who are poor and children who have special needs. If a district has a greater number of one or both, the overall cost per student will be dramatically influenced. In Rondout, 18% of our student get mandated services due to a certified special need. For comparison, the state average is 13.2% certified population.Our general cost per pupil includes instruction support for students in general education classrooms.  About 87% of our special ed. population get in-school instruction (compared with 67% state average). Our special education cost expenditure per pupil are similarly impacted by the fact that we provide most of our services at our district, more so than most other districts.

2. Poverty & limited English. Our population of poor children is about 24%, higher than last year and the year before. We also increased our number of children who have limited English.It is more expensive to provide the necessary services for these population as well.

3. Our commitment to smaller class sizes. Most of the cost per pupil is instructional costs. Fewer students per class means more teachers. In addition to believing that smaller classes produce better students, we also have a high inclusion rate which further requires smaller classes.

4. Our commitment to music, art and other programming. Again, the cost per student is primarily instruction. Engaging our students in educational experiences beyond reading, writing, English and science means more instructors in the specialized classes.