2013 Yankee Institute Friedman Day Presentation

7/27/2019 2013 Yankee Institute Friedman Day Presentation

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Education: Spending,

Transparency and Choice

Jason Bedrick, Cato Institute

Milton Friedman Legacy Day, 2013


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Question

How much does it cost, onaverage, to educate a child inan American public school?


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$0

$2,000

$4,000

$6,000

$8,000

$10,000

$12,000

$14,000

$16,000

PEPG Median PEPG Average NCES Operating NCES Total

National Per Pupil Expenditures

Source: Education Next PEPG Survey

2008; NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2011

$2,000

$4,250

$11,000

$14,000


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Bonus Question

How much does it cost,

on average, to educate a

child in a public schoolin Connecticut?


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Source: NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2011;

$11,000

$14,000

$17,500

$0

$2,000$4,000

$6,000

$8,000

$10,000

$12,000

$14,000

$16,000

$18,000

$20,000

NCES Operating NCES Total CT Avg Total PPE

National vs. CT Per Pupil Expenditures


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$0

$25,000

$50,000

$75,000

$100,000

$125,000

$150,000

$175,000

Inflation-Adjusted Cost of a CompleteK-through-12 Public Education

CatoInstituteCharts thewhole amountspent on the K-through-12education of astudentgraduating inthe given year.

Data sourcesDigest ofEducationStatistics 2011,Table 191, U.S.DOE, CPI-adjusted to

constant 2012$. Missingvalues linearlyinterpolated orextrapolated.

1970: $56,903

1990: $102,098

2010: $164,426


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Do you think government funding for public schools in yourdistrict should increase, decrease, or stay about the same?

0%

10%20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Uninformed Informed

Decrease

Stay Same

Increase

Source: Education Next PEPG Survey 2012, Complete Polling Results. Questions 7a & 7b.


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63%

29%

9%

0%

10%20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Uninformed Informed

Decrease

Stay Same

Increase



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63%

43%

29%

44%

9% 14%

0%

10%20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Uninformed Informed

Decrease

Stay Same

Increase




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Election 2012: Colorado

November 1, 2012: Colorados NBC-affiliate airs reporton public school funding:

38 ballot

initiatives to

increase

spending 31 districts

$1.03 billion


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Colorado Department

of Education: state

pays $6,474 per pupil.


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No, the state

pays

about$10,000

per pupil.


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Oh, $10,000-a-year

would be unimaginable

for almost anybody in

Colorado. It would be anice problem to have,

but it's not one we

currently have.


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Like any good

political debate,

much of the issue

will be addressed atthe polls.


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Amount of

state spendingis the wrong

question

Actual total per pupil

expenditures: $12,181


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Election Results:

34 of 38 bond

issues passed

29 of 31 districts

$1.01 of $1.03billion


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63%

43%

29%

44%

9% 14%

0%

10%20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Uninformed Informed

Decrease

Stay Same

Increase



20 ballotinitiatives

passed with

under 60% of

the vote


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49th Out of 50in Per Pupil Spending!


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ConnecticutsPer Pupil Spending Rank

U.S.Census

#7

NCESTotal

#6

NCESOperating

#6

NEA

#7

EducationWeek

#10


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Equal Inputs Dont Imply Equal Outputs


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What Were Up Against

State educationdepartments reportincomplete and

misleading figures Activistsuse those

figures to mislead

The mediaare too

lazy or incompetentto uncover andreport the truth


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Cracking the Books

Analyzed the financial transparency of all50 state education departments

Assigned AF grades for: Completeness

Timeliness

Accessibility

Working with state-based think tanks andwatchdog groups to promote nationwide


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Cracking the Books

Misleading data:

24 states report only operating or currentper pupil expenditures

Missing data: 8 states: missing capital expenditures

10 states: missing average employee salaries

41 states: missing average employee benefits


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Connecticut


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Connecticut

Operating per pupil expenditures

Most recent data: 2009-10

No data provided for: capital expenditures

total salaries

pensions

employee benefits

Difficult website to navigate


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Cracking the Books


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Cracking the Books


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Transparency & Choice

Robert F. Kennedy Community School,Los Angeles, built in 2010

Size: 452,000 square feet Amenities: Fine art murals, marble

memorial, swimming pool, 19,000-square-foot public park


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Transparency & Choice

Robert F. Kennedy Community School,Los Angeles Cost: $578 million

vs. $375 million for Staples Center Students: 4,200 Approx. $140,000 per student L.A. Unified School District: $640 million deficit

Laid off 3,000 teachers in two years Among lowest graduation rates in nation Terrible test scores


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Connecticut Private Schools

465 private schools

75,500+ students Compared to 550,000+ public school students

statewide

Average tuition nationwide: $8,550 (2007-08, NCES) Compared to $17,500 per pupil in CT


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Connecticut Private Schools

Tuition for all six non-special education privateschools in Hartford:

$34,125 at Watkinson School $17,000 average financial aid grant (36% on grants)

$3,600 (members $3,100) at Hartford AreaSeventh Day Adventist School

$3,600 at Saints Cyril & Methodius School $1,800 average financial aid grant (90% on grants)

Tuition-free at Covenant Preparatory (60students) Tuition not listed for St. Augustine School or

Grace S. Webb School


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School Choice in Connecticut

A well-designedschool choice programcould:

Save money Improve student

performance

Raise graduation

rates and collegematriculation

Improve civicknowledge


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Education: Spending,

Transparency and ChoiceJason Bedrick

Visiting Policy Analyst

Center for Educational FreedomCato Institute

T itt @C t CEF @J B d i k


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Twitter: @CatoCEF @JasonBedrick

2013 Yankee Institute Friedman Day Presentation

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