School Funding

Here is some figures I gleaned from the Gazette article on the Governor's plan for school funding.<br />n<br />n<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/12/11/build/state/20-plan.inc">Governor's plan not a permanent fix, superintendent says</a><br />n<br />n<u>___________</u>$/student_____$/student____%<br />n_______________before_______after_____increase<br />nBillings________$5064________$5468______7.4<br />nMissoula_______$7863________$8272______4.9<br />nHelena________$7800________$8183______4.7<br />nLodge Grass____$13,333______$13,873_____3.9<br />nFrenchtown_____$6855________$7242______5.3<br />nAugusta_______$8461________$8913______5<br />nCanyon Creek___$7333_______$8073_______9.2<br />n<br />nTo start with I know there will be a lot of screaming and shouting out there that you can't measure school funding by dollars spent per student. I don't know how else to look at it. As a simple cowboy I need to break the figures down somehow. I figure my expense on the ranch on a per calf basis since that is what I produce so I figure I can look at school funding on a per student basis since schools produce educated(?) students.<br />n<br />nSome of the interesting things I note about this.<br />n<br />nLodge Grass- One of the worst performing schools in the state, I am not going to look up the info but I know it's out there, has the highest dollars per student by almost double of the other schools and still can't educate the kids. Why? Is the school district incompetent or is it the poverty of the area, parents who don't care or what? Is more money per student going to solve their problems? They get the smallest percentage increase of the schools listed. Probably because of their large budget and few students the percentage works against them but the real big question is how to improve this school. Is money the answer or is it something else?<br />n<br />nBillings- Size does matter. There costs are less per student because of the large number of students in a small area. Other schools in Montana can't do this because of the distance factor in our large state. They receive the second highest increase, percentage wise, per student of those listed. There large percentage increase is due to the low cost per student inflates the numbers. <br />n<br />nCanyon Creek- The one room school house gets the largest increase on a percentage basis. Small school, small budget the numbers cause a larger percentage change quicker. I am not sure where Canyon Creek is but are one room schoolhouses still practical? The school district I am in did away with them quite a few years ago because they figured transporting the kids to a larger school was cheaper in the long run. Their still doing it today here, closing smaller schools and transporting the kids to a larger school.<br />n<br />nI wish I knew the answers to the school funding problems the state has. We go from $5000 to $13000 per student and still cannot provide a "quality education," whatever the hell that is, for our children. Why is that? Where are we as a society failing on this, or are we? <br />n<br />nMany taxpayers say that the education system gets enough money to educate our kids. Are the taxpayers squeezed that much or are they just being selfish? How much should the taxpayers pay to educate "the future" of our society? How much is too much for taxpayers? <br />n<br />nThe upcoming special session will continue this discussion in the nest few days. I don't know that the discussion will ever end. All I know is that I pay enough in taxes that I feel I am doing my fair share. Particularly since I see the payout I am getting with my one daughter in the public education system. I don't think more money is the answer. Most of the teachers I talk to think more parent involvement would help solve most of the problems. More parents involved with their kids and their education will make the money we have work for us, but parents can't be troubled to work with their kids. They are too busy chasing the all mighty dollar for that. In their quest for that dollar, we all lose.<br />n<br />n<b>Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results. William James</b>