Big Spending at PISD

Since the school district is considering next year’s budget and a possible tax increase is on the table, it will be enlightening to launch a series of articles analyzing PISD’s expenditures. The following table is a comparison of the operating and instructional cost per pupil among large school districts with more than 25,000 students. The data is taken from Snapshots which is an annual report published by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The expenditure information are provided by each school district to the state agency which also publishes the report on its internet website.

It has been alleged by our district that the published operating cost per pupil of $6,198 for year 1998 is wrong since it included recapture (the amount of money paid to the state under Robin Hood). According to TEA, Plano was one of eight districts that made erroneous submission in 1997 and they contacted the district to make the necessary correction. In the following year, PISD became one of three districts which erred in their reporting of data in this category. After persistent attempts to get the correct figure, PISD offered the figure of $5,488 as the operating cost per pupil for 1998 and also informed me that the figure for 1999 would also have the same error since the submission was already made.

Based on this figure provided by PISD, out of 33 districts Plano has the highest instructional cost and the second highest operating cost (only $14 per pupil less than Brownsville and San Antonio). The average operating cost for these 33 districts is $4,871 per pupil which is $617 per pupil less than Plano’s. With 43,000 kids in our district, we are outspending the average by $617 x 43,000 = $26.5 M.

The average instructional cost for these districts is $2,858 per pupil which is $512 per pupil less than Plano’s. We outspend the average by $512 x 43,000 = $22 M.

In anticipation of expected excuses, I have shaded those fast growth districts which experienced more than 20% growth in the last five years. Fast growth does not lead to higher cost per pupil. On the contrary, one would expect some benefit from economies of scale. I applaud recent efforts by the board to demand serious cost cutting from the administration.

 

Comparison of Large Districts

Ranked by Operating Cost per Pupil

No.

District

5 yr. % Growth

Operating Cost per Pupil

Instructional Cost per Pupil

 

Plano

30.9

(erroneous) $6,198

$3,370

1

Brownsville

3.5

$5,502

$3,244

2

San Antonio

2.1

$5,502

$3,206

3

Plano

30.9

(PISD’s figure) $5,488

$3,370

4

North East

10.1

$5,295

$3,168

5

Houston

6.6

$5,245

$3,005

6

Spring Branch

12.7

$5,236

$3,023

7

Aldine

13.8

$5,170

$3,062

8

Northside

11.3

$5,133

$3,134

9

Richardson

2.7

$5,127

$3,010

10

Dallas

12.8

$5,079

$2,929

11

Killeen

16.8

$5,024

$2,803

12

Conroe

21.2

$4,979

$2,876

13

Fort Worth

8.2

$4,947

$2,675

14

Klein

10.5

$4,930

$2,950

15

Irving

9.3

$4,881

$3,004

16

Ysleta

- 3.4

$4,865

$2,869

17

Corpus Christi

- 2.9

$4,821

$2,831

18

Lewisville

41

$4,766

$2,930

19

Cypress-Fairbanks

20

$4,757

$2,820

20

Austin

9.7

$4,749

$2,761

21

El Paso

- 0.5

$4,728

$2,678

22

Alief

22.6

$4,726

$2,908

23

Lubbock

- 2.5

$4,724

$2,642

24

Pasadena

4.1

$4,698

$2,757

25

Round Rock

24.7

$4,697

$2,880

26

Katy

30.3

$4,652

$2,798

27

Fort Bend

20.6

$4,623

$2,318

28

Ector County

1.6

$4,585

$2,524

29

Amarillo

2.5

$4,573

$2,810

30

Clear Creek

19

$4,386

$2,687

31

Mesquite

12.6

$4,357

$2,365

32

Arlington

13.7

$4,317

$2,661

33

Garland

15.3

$4,184

$2,626

Average Cost for 33 districts

 

Spending like a small district

Among the 33 districts with more than 25,000 students, Plano has the second highest operating cost per pupil. Fast growth does not necessarily explain this high cost for there are many districts facing fast growth but have a far lower per capita cost than PISD. The fact that we are a Robin Hood district also does not explain the high cost for those property wealthy districts with higher operating cost have significantly lower student population. Our operating cost per pupil actually reflect the cost of educating a student in a district size of between 500 and 1,600.

This is the second part of a study on PISD’s operating expenditure. The number within each column shows the number of districts within that size category. About two thirds of Texas districts are very small districts.

PISD spends about $600 more per pupil than districts with more than 1,600 students! With a student population of 43,000, the total adds up to a sizable $25.8 million. We should spend less time blaming Robin Hood and start looking for the real causes of our woes.

 

Comparison with Rich Districts

In the previous study, we have seen that PISD’s operating cost per pupil is close to the average for a small Texas district with between 500 and 1,600 students. For a district with close to 45,000 students, we do not seem to be reaping any benefits from economies of scale.

It is true that many districts with the same or greater property wealth as Plano shows a higher operating cost per student. However, these districts have significantly smaller student population. Plano still substantially outspends large "Robin Hood" districts with more than 10,000 students, e.g., Richardson, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Coppell, Grapevine-Colleyville and Brazosport. Ironically, many of these districts achieve higher ratings from the Texas Education Agency. To be put it bluntly, they are spending less but achieving more.

Lest it be said that we have a more challenging student profile, I am furnishing this table to preemptively invalidate that premise. The table identifies "Robin Hood" districts with more than 5,000 students which have a higher rating than Plano (either Exemplary or Recognized). Brazosport, with the most challenging student profile, spends about $900 less per pupil than Plano and is rated Exemplary. Incidentally, some of you may notice that Plano has the smallest percentage of kids enrolled in gifted and talented programs.

These six districts have an average operating cost of $5,218 which is $270 less than ours. One can only appreciate how staggering this amount is after we multiply it by 43,000 students. In effect, we outspent the average of these five property wealthy districts by a grand total of about $12 million in 1998. How can so much be spent on so many to accomplish so little?

The school board is considering raising taxes. No matter how we look at the numbers, the problem does not seem to be lack of funds. Growth in our tax base, recent relief from Robin Hood, and the availability of more state aid should more than sufficiently cover our growth needs. Further infusion of funds by increasing taxes would only produce a grotesquely unflattering image of our community at the state capitol where we constantly lobby for Robin Hood relief.

Before we spend even more money, we should identify the causes for our relatively poorer performance, particularly in the lower grades. How our kids manage to turn in "sterling" SAT performances in latter years is the subject of numerous conjectures. Parents and the business community in Plano should urge this district to re-assess their present spending priorities before raising our already high tax rates.

 

Comparison of Big "Robin Hood" Districts (>5,000 students)

with Better Rating than PISD

Ranked by operating cost per pupil from left to right

Data from Snapshots ’98 published by the Texas Education Agency

 

Eanes

Highland Park

Plano

Coppell

Grapevine-Colleyville

Brazosport

Operating Cost per Pupil

$5,717

$5,556

$5,488

$5,043

$4,929

$4,573

%age Growth 1993-1998

20.9

27.5

30.9

77.9

26.2

4.8

Student Population (1998)

7,184

5,695

43,323

7,722

12,867

13,131

Academic Rating

Exemplary

Exemplary

Academically Acceptable

Exemplary

Recognized

Exemplary

Student Profile (%)

           

African-American

1

0

6

3

2

9

Hispanic

4

1

8

7

6

33

White

90

97

76

79

89

57

Other

5

2

11

11

3

2

Econ. Disadvantaged

2.4

0

8.8

3.8

6.4

36.4

Special Education

11

9

10

8

9

14

Bilingual/ESL

1

0

5

3

1

7

Career/Technology

5

2

16

11

16

24

Gifted/Talented

11

12

7

14

24

10

Overspending Analysis

by writer

         

Diff. from Ave. Cost ($5,218)

$499

$338

$270

($175)

($289)

($645)

Diff. x Student Population

$3.6M

$1.9M

$11.7M

($1.4M)

($3.7M)

($8.5M)

 

 

Proportional Expenditure Comparison

ranked by operating cost per pupil from left to right

based on 1998 data

 

Eanes

Highland Park

Plano

Spring Branch

Richardson

Coppell

Grapevine-Colleyville

Katy

Brazosport

Clear Creek

Operating Cost per Pupil

$5,717

$5,556

$5,488

$5,236

$5,127

$5,043

$4,929

$4,652

$4,573

$4,386

Revenue per Pupil

$7,031

$5,910

$6,884

$5,843

$11,198

$6,049

$5,750

$5,553

$5,498

$5,215

Recapture

$10.5 M

$30 M

$30 M

0

$10 M

$4 M

$10 M

$137K

0

0

Recapture per pupil

$1,461

$5,268

$692

0

$293

$518

$777

$5

0

0

%age Growth 1993-1998

20.9

27.5

30.9

12.7

2.7

77.9

26.2

30.3

4.8

19.0

Student Population

7,184

5,695

43,323

30,880

34,106

7,722

12,867

28,230

13,131

28,200

Academic Rating

Exemplary

Exemplary

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Exemplary

Recognized

Recognized

Exemplary

Recognized

Expenditure by Proportion (%)

                   

Payroll Costs

66.1

77.8

67.3

76.2

73.8

68.9

71.0

72.4

70.9

73.6

Prof. & Contracted Services

7.0

7.8

9.2

6.4

9.8

8.4

8.0

4.9

6.5

7.4

Supplies & Materials

5.7

3.5

6.3

5.5

4.3

5.9

5.3

4.8

6.7

4.5

Other Operating Costs

1.4

1.2

1.6

1.3

0.8

1.8

1.8

1.1

1.6

1.2

Debt Service

19.1

9.0

12.6

8.8

10.2

9.7

13.7

14.3

6.1

12.2

Capital Outlay

0.7

0.6

3.1

1.8

1.1

5.4

0.2

2.4

8.2

1.1

Staff

                   

Total Staff FTE

905

642

4,679

4,021

3,941

881

1,532

3,144

1,507

3,030

Total Teachers FTE

524

418

2,818

2,018

2,200

509

854

1,719

767

1,676

Avg Central Admin Salary

80,624

115,661

78,765

82,080

62,494

65,333

69,277

77,941

78,122

63,934

Avg Campus Admin Salary

60,306

76,066

63,853

58,418

56,459

52,739

53,144

56,037

56,088

53,783

Avg Profess, Sup. Staff Salary

41,084

46,138

43,710

42,073

42,099

38,756

40,414

43,905

39,474

40,136

Avg Teacher Salary

35,889

36,990

36,540

36,020

35,351

33,134

33,519

35,488

36,173

33,940

No. of Students per Staff

7.9

8.9

9.3

7.7

8.7

8.8

8.4

9.0

8.7

9.3

No. of Students per Teacher

13.7

13.6

15.4

15.3

15.5

15.2

15.1

16.4

17.1

16.8

Student Profile

                   

African-American

1

0

6

6

20

3

2

5

9

7

Hispanic

4

1

8

46

15

7

6

13

33

11

White

90

97

76

40

55

79

89

78

57

74

Other

5

2

11

8

9

11

3

4

2

9

Econ. Disadvantaged

2.4

0

8.8

49.8

29.8

3.8

6.4

10.8

36.4

10.8

Special Education

11

9

10

11

11

8

9

9

14

8

Bilingual/ESL

1

0

5

29

13

3

1

5

7

4

Career/Technology

5

2

16

13

17

11

16

13

24

11

Gifted/Talented

11

12

7

5

5

14

24

7

10

8

College Admission Tests

Class of

1997

               

Percent Tested *

91.3

107.7*

83.1

72.4

88.9

93.7

84.9

82.2

70.6

81.7

Percent At/Above Criterion

63.3

64.7

52.7

48.1

46.0

46.4

41.3

42.1

37.9

44.2

SAT I: Mean Total Score

1,145

1,153

1,113

1,091

1,072

1,084

1,068

1,065

1,047

1,080

ACT: Mean Composite Score

24.2

23.9

23.5

22.3

22.5

22.4

22.3

22.3

21.7

21.4

Other analysis by writer

                   

% tops in elem. Reading

66.7

50

44.4

58.3

40.5

71.4

54.5

40.5

72.7

56.3

% tops in elem. Math

16.7

50

11.1

33.3

29.7

71.4

0

25

63.6

27.8

% tops in elem. reading & math

16.7

50

7.4

29.2

27

42.9

0

25

81.8

27.8

Diff. from Avg. Cost ($5,071)

$646

$485

$417

$165

$56

($28)

($142)

($419)

($498)

($685)

Diff. x Student Population

$4.6 M

$2.8 M

$18.1 M

$5.1 M

$1.9 M

($0.2 M)

($1.8 M)

($11.8 M)

($6.5 M)

($19.3 M)

 

Cost Analysis

3rd highest operating cost per pupil

2nd lowest percentage for payroll but second highest for professional & contracted services as Supplies & Materials.

3rd in Debt Service and Capital Outlay.

Salary Comparison

4th in average central admin. salary

2nd in average campus admin. salary

3rd in average professional support staff salary

4th in average central admin. salary

2nd in average teacher salary

College Results

5th lowest percentage taking SAT

3rd highest at or above criterion

3rd highest SAT mean total score

2nd highest ACT mean composite score

Elementary Proficiency

3rd lowest in reading

2nd lowest in math

2nd lowest in both reading and math