Pennsylvania & Per Pupil Spending

email ^ | 11/30/02 | Craig J. Cantoni

[hsmomx3]

Pennsylvania offers a lesson in what happens when taxpayers cave in to teacher unions and raise pay and school spending to astronomical levels. It is a lesson that is seldom told in the mainstream press. (My sister-in-law is a 28-year public school teacher in Pennsylvania.) The statistics pasted below were published by the Press-Enterprise newsletter and come from testimony by the Commonwealth Foundation before a Pennsylvania Senate committee on property tax reform.

- In 1980, Pennsylvania spent $4,500 per student in inflation-adjusted dollars, or $8.72 billion in total on public education. It now spends $8,300 per student, or $15 billion in total.

- Pennsylvania school expenditures increased 123 percent faster than inflation between 1987 and 2000, yet SAT scores remained relatively flat during that period and the state's ranking in academic performance actually dropped. Only four states and the District of Columbia rank worse than Pennsylvania.

- According to the American Federation of Teachers, the average teacher salary of $52,832 in Pennsylvania commanded the "highest purchasing power" in the country when cost of living was factored in.

- Due to union power over school boards, and due to the almost dictatorial power of school boards to raise property taxes in the Keystone State, Pennsylvania property taxes have increased three times faster than inflation over the last 20 years.

- Teachers know they have the upper hand. For example, in September, teachers in the Council Rock District in Bucks County went on strike, although their average salary was $75,000 and the district was offering a three-year, 9.25 percent increase. The union wanted a four-year, 18 percent increase and free health care for them and their families.

Separately, the Allegheny Institute says that school spending is actually much higher when capital spending is factored in. The Institute reports that Pittsburgh schools are spending $17,000 per student, with virtually nothing to show for it.

[cynicom]

My children were products of this system in the 70s. When they got to college, they found out very quickly what they did not know and what they had been cheated out of.

They had teachers that drank in school each and every day for years. Because of the union, the school board did nothing. The superintendents job was filled by one after another loser that showed up on the scene. Total loss.

The system should be sold and let private enterprise run it.

[stevio]

This is great. Where is the actual data on this? I want to send this out to my email groups but need verification.

[luv2ndamend]

Institute reports that Pittsburgh schools are spending $17,000 per student, with virtually nothing to show for it.

You could send 5 or 6 kids to Parochial schools for that price.

[widowithfoursons]

Don't forget the municipal tax in PA that goes to the schools. I really resented that when I lived there, childless, (as did many of the seniors who had to pay).

[chiefqc]

It's just our elected officals doing what they do best, ripping off the people who elected them.

Money talks, everybody else walks.

[jz638]

Don't worry, Ed Rendell will fix Pennsylvania's public schools.

[ppaul]

Good morning ping.

[HamiltonJay]

My children go to a private catholic school, like many students of public school teachers in this state. That alone tells the story.

In a class of 7 students, 2 children's parents are teachers that are either actively teaching in the public school system, or are retired public school teachers. And this is in a district where the primary school is known to be very good.... So enough said.

[HamiltonJay]

Actually that's not quite right, there are 2 seperate taxes the Municipal Tax and the School Tax. This (other than cities with exemptions) combined cannot exceed 1% of income. Where I live I get a bill every year for 1% .5% goes to the municipality, and .5% goes to the school district. They are 2 seperate taxes that get billed together, unless your borough or township does it differently.

[TxBec]

Good morning bump! :)

[HamiltonJay]

You could send 5 or 6 kids to Parochial schools for that price.

Well yes, but keep in mind Parochial tuition is subsidized by the church, the amount the parents pay is not the full cost of the school. Your main point that Parochial schools are far less expensive and do a better job generally teaching though is absolutely true.

[widowithfoursons]

I think Monroeville did 1.5% municipal to schools back then. It was still too much of PROPERTY TAX for people who had no vested intersest in the school system. Most of the folks I knew sent their kids to private school.

[HamiltonJay]

Well, don't know when you lived there, so can't say... from my understanding unless they have special exhemptions (home rule charter etc) from the state legislature no local municipality and school district can charge more than a combined total of 1% on income. The city of Pittsburgh obviously has an exemption, but even it must go to the state to raise its income tax.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

Don't worry, Ed Rendell will fix Pennsylvania's public schools.

BWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! *whew*

good one

[sistergoldenhair]

Where is the actual data on this?

This info is easy to find for every state. Just do a Google search.
More interesting - try to search for specific school districts or schools.
I got quite a shock when I compared the state average (~$42K) to the district average (~$70K)
Administrators were making an average ~$150K.

[Marie]

As a homeschool mom of two, I couldn't begin to tell you what I could do with an annual $16,000 to educate my kids... Heck, I could build on a school room, get them each a computer, put together a science lab that would rival any school system's... That's almost $100,000 for 12 years of school for each child.

Geez, I wonder why the PS system hates homeschoolers so much.

(Ignore spelling and grammar errors... flu.)