The Truth Hurts

I’ve got a message for the Kellie basher of the week. By that I mean the latest letter in the Falls News Press regarding my facts that some would like to remain under the rug. I have done my homework. More so than many of my comrades. While the powers that be continue to tout the money that inter district open enrollment brings in, they conveniently do not talk about what is SPENT on inter district open enrolled children. Ms. Goodrich should ask the board members that she lauds why they apparently don’t realize there is COST involved in educating these kids.

I will make it as plain as possible.

TOTAL IN FROM OPEN ENROLLMENT: $1,843,415.71

In and used for inter district open enrolled Spec Ed -$250,042.56

Actual amount Inter District Open enrolled children bring in: $1,593,373.15

School, Number of inter district open enrolled pupils, Building cost per pupil cost, Total building cost of inter district students.

Silver Lake- 53 @ $8741 PP = $463,273
Richardson- 14 @ $7278 PP = $101,892
Price- 32 @ $7228 PP = $231,296
Preston- 20 @ $8760 PP = $175,200
Lincoln- 9 @ $6716 PP = $60,444
Dewitt- 25 @ $7193 PP = $179,825
Roberts- MS 19 @ $8336 PP = $158,384
Bolich MS- 35 @ $9085 PP = $317,975
CFHS- 117 @ $7269 PP = $850,473

Total COST of inter district open enrolled children -$2,538,762.00

Actual in from inter district open enrollment: $1,593,373.15

Local tax dollars SPENT on inter district open enrolled children -$945,388.85

Yes, almost a million dollars of your property tax dollars are spent on children “from other cities outside our district”.

The above only deals with inter district open enrollment. Intra district generally cost the taxpayer as well. For example, a child that should be at Lincoln at a cost of $6716, when open enrolled at Silver Lake costs $8741. $2025 more than at his or her home school. The only time an intra district student saves us money is when they leave Silver Lake or Preston for a lower cost per pupil school. But being that Silver Lake boasts the highest inter and intra district open enrollment numbers, just like the above example the 50 intra district open enrollees COST the taxpayer quite a bit due to the abundance in a high COST building.

You may wonder about the special education deduction. $250,042.56 of the inter district money the state provides is for special education services. Services that the same inter district special education children are using and we are paying for. They actually use more than they bring in special ed, but in this case we’ll call it a wash. So just to clarify- the state pays the district this amount because the children use this amount. It is NOT revenue.

Keep in mind that the above inter district open enrolled children brought in $5614.42 each; with some funding adjustments for the special education. Same deal as special ed, sort of. The state pays the district this amount because they use this amount. But… as you see above they use more than this amount. In most cases an inter district open enrolled child brings in far less than it COSTS to educate them in any of our schools.

Who is trying to mislead property owners and parents? I am trying to educate them. There are ways to save money, operate efficiently and retain current programming. I want the taxpayers to be armed with knowledge when heading to the polls. I’m not trying to “pit one neighborhood or side of town against the other”.

I’m trying to show people how our money is SPENT.

Lastly, I’ve emphasized COST and SPENT because I felt they sorely needed pointed out. So I wonder if I have convinced the letter writer that I have indeed done my homework. I've done it so well that I'm hoping I get a gold star.