Where Has All the Money Gone?
Study reveals that most Michigan schools spent more money during much of last decade
Public schools in Michigan have continued to get more money per pupil over the past seven years, according to research done by the Cato Institute.
Tracking every dime of the estimated $20 billion public schools spend in Michigan each year, real (inflation-adjusted) per pupil spending increased from $12,032 in 2000-01 to $12,438 in 2007-08, according to the state's Department of Education. That's a 3.4 percent increase.
"If schools want to make the argument they don't have money, it is because their costs have been increasing," said Michael Van Beek, the director of education policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. "What is commonly heard from the public school establishment is that they are always having their funding cut."
Van Beek said schools consider it a "cut" when the spending increase is not as large as anticipated.
"The problem is they have rising costs that they need to control," Van Beek said. "They need to work to get those costs in line before they cry poor."
Andrew Coulson of the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom compiled the spending data from 14,000 school districts in the U.S.
Cato's finding showed only five of the 551 school districts in Michigan cut per-pupil spending every year from 2000 to 2008. They were Breckenridge, Godwin Heights, Lamphere, Lincoln Consolidated and Wayne-Westland districts.
Grand Rapids' per-pupil spending, using inflation-adjusted numbers, has increased from $12,451 in 2000-01 to $14,150 in 2007-08, according to the Cato research. That's a 13.6 percent increase over seven years.
Grand Rapids Superintendent Bernard Taylor recently told his school board that he wanted to look at increasing compensation for employees "after so many years of rightsizing, downsizing, eliminating and consolidating, and all those types of things ...."
John Helmholdt, a spokesman for the Grand Rapids Public Schools, said if spending per pupil has gone up it is because of the federal stimulus money as well as a $165 million the school has spent on school construction.
The Cato Institute's analysis included all revenue to schools, including school construction.
Grand Rapids' $165 million bond was passed in 2004 and the revenue comes from 2005-2010.
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See also:
Analysis: Pseudo School 'Cuts'
Analysis: We Still Need to Reform Teacher Pay
Recaps of New Teachers' Union Contracts
$300k Superintendent Defends His Compensation
The 600-Student District With the $300k Superintendent
Grand Rapids Superintendent Wants to Use "EduJobs" Bailout Money for Health Insurance
Budget Savings Drained and Raises Continue at Alpena Schools
The Salary History of a Michigan Public School Teacher
Ann Arbor Teachers Union Keeps District Out of Balance
St. Joseph Teacher Contract Summary
Wayne-Westland Teacher Contract: Summary and Analysis
Walled Lake Teacher Contract Analysis
Traverse City Teacher Contract: Summary and Analysis
Port Huron Teacher Contract: Summary and Analysis
Utica Teacher Contract: Summary and Analysis
Saline Teacher Contract: Summary and Analysis
Fruitport Teacher Contract: An Analysis
Holland Teacher Contract Summary
Detailed Analysis of Holland's Teacher Contract
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