Want to Improve California Schools? Show Me the Numbers
After another general election when over a thousand school board seats were on the ballot, we have seen a slight shift in favor of parent advocates representing our districts in California.
And while many media outlets want to frame the election about social and cultural issues, the problems facing most districts are often more about resources and management than anything else. Yes, academics are essential, but if a district is not solvent, it does not matter what they are teaching if they cannot keep the lights on during school hours.
Those who reflexively assert that most K-12 public schools in California are underfunded, thus the reason they are failing, usually have no idea how much money is actually spent in our local public schools. They are also ignorant of basic facts regarding the district’s population, facilities, and budget, both revenues and expenditures.
We hear a lot of anecdotes about teachers buying classroom supplies or sport programs cutting back on games because they cannot afford referees, or certain programs being cut because a grant was not renewed. All of these scenarios may very well be true, but they are symptoms of a larger mismanagement problem.
Though a school board trustee has a legal and fiduciary responsibility for the health of the district, bureaucrats run the modern school system and revel in a labyrinth of state mandates reflexively hiding pertinent information from the public. We need more sunlight and discretion in local school district budgeting if California public schools are going to improve in any measure.
While school board meeting agendas, budget documents, and bond proposals may have relevant data buried in obscure tables and narrative, millions of irrelevant details do not make for good and transparent programs. In the end, hiding the ball sets the stage for bigger problems down the line.
Know What to Ask
Identifying the best questions to ask can provide essential and distilled information faster than a stack of spreadsheets. The following are a handful of points every school board trustee, principal, teacher, parent, and frankly, student should know. It will provide for better insight on decisions to offer the best education possible for our kids.
1. What is the school district population? How many students attend the various elementary, middle, and high schools?
2. What is the total budget for the district? What are the general, special, federal, and bond revenues and expenditures for the budget? Are there any special requirements for receiving funds or restrictions on expenditures of those funds in any categories? Does the district have a five or ten-year plan? How much is spent per student overall and on a marginal basis?
3. What is the total unfunded liability for the district? How much does the district owe in bonded indebtedness, pension obligations, retiree healthcare costs, and other revenue anticipation notes? Does the district have a sensible actuarial plan that accounts for the true costs of pensions? Is the district paying its normal costs for pensions in full every year as a part of its annual required contributions?
4. How many teachers, administrators and other certified staff like secretaries, custodians, security, and coaches are employed by the district? What is the ratio of teachers to students? How many teachers have been hired, laid off, and fired year-to-year?
5. When are the union contracts up for negotiation? Who is representing the taxpayers and parents at the bargaining table? How are the details of the negotiations shared with the public and is it in a timely manner? Does the public have any say in counter-negotiations through the board?
Due Diligence
How does one go about finding this information?
The superintendent and chief financial officer should have this information readily accessible and may want to publish it on their website. Most districts also have citizen oversight committees that provide input on issues relating to facilities, budgets, curriculum, and bonds. A monthly review of these numbers keeps the committee informed and capable of providing insights on how to better allocate scarce resources.
Once you find these numbers, consider comparing them to neighboring districts of a similar location and demographic.
If school leadership spends more time talking about social issues rather than actual education programs, it may be a sign that the school has lost its focus on its mission. Districts that hide these numbers and prefer a discussion on social issues are less likely to be in the camp of actually educating children.
Before you critique this commentary, ask yourself if you know the basic numbers for your local district. Could you rattle them off before going into a discussion about realigning resources or restructuring programs to make your local public school better? If not, show me the numbers and I will show you how to better approach educating California’s students.
