Date: Fri 17-Jan-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

schools-per-pupil-spending

Full Text:

Reed: School Spending Trend Can't Continue

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Ten days before submitting his 1997-98 school budget proposal to the Board of

Education, Superintendent John Reed sent a guarded warning that although he

doesn't recommend large increases in the school budget during a construction

year such as this one, it may soon be coming time to pay the piper.

The bare facts are that as school enrollment has gone up, school spending

hasn't kept pace.

At some point, Dr Reed said, perhaps within "five or six years," that "weak

negative relationship" will have to be reversed.

"We're grateful to the town for supporting our building projects," Dr Reed

told board members during a workshop meeting held January 7 and he reiterated

that this was not the year to ask for any large increases beyond what was

absolutely necessary.

"But there is a strong argument if the [school] needs increase, that the town

should devote more resources to education spending," Dr Reed said.

He was referring specifically to the continued decline in Newtown's rate of

spending per pupil when compared to a total of 169 schools statewide.

In 1977, for example, Newtown was ranked 61 out of 169 towns in relation to

dollars spent per pupil; nearly 20 years later in 1995, Newtown's ranking had

dropped to 143 out of 169 towns.

This decline was addressed in a special report prepared for the Newtown school

board, titled, "Real Per Pupil Spending and Town Support for Education,"

written by consultant Joseph Schwartz of Fairfield.

The report examined Newtown's "real" per pupil spending in inflation adjusted

dollars, computing objective standards such as teacher salaries, instructional

supplies and physical plant operation, as related to total enrollment.

Of particular concern, Dr Reed said, was that since 1991, when enrollment had

started to rise again after leveling off in the 1980s, spending per pupil

continued to decline.

During the 1992-93 budget year when 3,535 students were enrolled, Newtown

spent $7,147 per pupil. Yet by 1995-96, with enrollment peaking at 3,984

students, per pupil spending was only $6,993 - the lowest it had been since

1987-88 when the figure was $6,798 and the enrollment was virtually the same

as in 1992-93.

"This trend has to be reversed before too long," Dr Reed said.

Board member Peggy Ulrich-Nims agreed, saying that the report would prove

useful as they considered the problem for the future.

"It's good to see it presented this way - what we thought was true."

"It's an excellent tool," added board member Susan Hills.

Source:

Newtown Board Of Education