By Catherine Cuellar, KERA 90.1 Reporter
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Texas Schools: Where Does The Money Go?
Dallas, TX –
Catherine Cuellar, 90.1 reporter: Garland High School is a majority minority campus with mostly non-white students, 34% of whom are economically disadvantaged, and 13% of whom have limited English proficiency. Given these demographics, they have higher-than-average graduation rates and test scores, and a lower-than-average cost per pupil and dropout rate. It's a good example of how state legislators would like to see money spent in public schools. Dr. Curtis Culwell is superintendent of the Garland ISD
Dr. Curtis Culwell, Garland ISD superintendent: Sometimes it's a little arcane to be able to go through and determine exactly what dollars are associated with what function.
Cuellar: But since that's what the government requires, he offers this scenario.
Culwell: The bell rings and the kid goes to first period, surely you expect there to be a qualified teacher in there. You also expect there to be materials of some kind. You expect to be some technology.
Cuellar: Those are the classroom expenses at the heart of the 65% rule Governor Perry signed this year. By 2009, all public schools will be required to spend at least 65% of their budget in the classroom. Two commissions are currently hashing out details of what costs will qualify as classroom expenses, and the criteria will be finalized next year. The current state average for classroom spending is less than 61%, although in most north Texas districts, it's usually higher. Garland's district finance director David Pate breaks down the expenses at Garland High School.
David Pate, Finance Director, Garland ISD: The single largest expenditure at the campus level and particularly Garland High School is payroll. Payroll is approximately 85% at the campus level. Instruction is where teacher salaries are recorded, teaching supplies, that's the single largest area. The percentage for instruction at Garland High School is 73%.
Cuellar: The payroll expenses that don't fall under instruction are about 6% for the principal and assistant principals, 4% for school counselors, and roughly 1% each for librarians and school nurses. Then there are building costs.
Pate: Plant maintenance and operations, which is the second largest area after instruction, that's where we record our utility cost, and that is 12%.
Cuellar: Those fixed costs amount to 97% of the campus budget, which is typical in north Texas. Linda Griffin, who serves on the board of both the Garland ISD board and the state school board association, explains how decisions get made.
Linda Griffin, Garland ISD board member: The budget process actually begins at the campus levels. so the campuses decide and send in budget requests. They go back and forth. And in Garland we have a finance and audit committee. So once the budget process begins, you look at your big initiatives and your big expense items that you're going to have, and then you try to work everything around that. You have to decide how are you going to take care of your staff? And I'm proud to say in Garland we have been able to give our employees a raise every year. We stuck to our 3%.
Cuellar: The average teacher salary at Garland High School last year was about $43,000. On top of that, Garland has struggled to pay staff benefits as the state has reduced the amount of money available for health insurance, and restricted the types of school staff covered.
Griffin: So in Garland trying to not say that these group of employees are more important than the other group, we found money and we made our whole staff whole.
Cuellar: Two percent of the discretionary budget at Garland High School goes toward extra curricular and co-curricular programs. Research indicates that programs like choir, band, and athletics have the biggest payoff. Principal Morris.
John Morris, Principal, Garland H.S.: We've created several organizations or other extra curricular activities to get students involved in that we don't get funding for. We have a gospel choir. We have a step team in which we get more kids involved. We get that buy in to being in school, being organized, getting their work done and being a part of a team.
Cuellar: Another discretionary cost is Garland High School's International Baccalaureate program, which, along with Advanced Placement, is one of the best indicators of students' success after graduation. Principal Morris:
Morris: Garland high school has been ranked as one of the top 200 schools in the nation for the last 10 years because of the number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests we administer. We will have over 800 students yearly that receive college credit.
Cuellar: Unlike regular high school classes, with textbooks paid for by the state, Garland foots the bill for IB textbooks, tests, and teacher training. The school does get some government reimbursement if students pass their exams. Teachers must also receive special training for the school to offer the IB program. All curriculum and instructional staff development account for point three per cent of Garland High's budget. Other extras that flesh out the budget include tutoring, after-school activities, and summer programs. Superintendent Culwell says debate over discretionary costs is disproportionate since they make up such a small sliver of the budget pie.
Culwell: There's a tinge of lunacy in some of the logic that we use and sometimes I think we need to examine a little bit about our rationale in how we approach those issues. We're a labor, people intensive business. You want good teachers, you want good people working with your kids, that's where your costs are. Then we're going to spend a great deal of time talking about non-personnel costs. Now how much time and energy you want to devote to that a lot of times depends on what perspective you have about what you think public education ought to be about.
Cuellar: The debate in the legislature has been over how much public education should be run like a business. In one sense Culwell agrees - he thinks the almost $5000 per pupil Garland High School spends is a good investment, but says more is needed. Educators hope the Texas Supreme Court's decision on the constitutionality of the state finance system will force the legislature to give them more money. That ruling is expected to be handed down this morning.
For KERA 90.1, I'm Catherine Cuellar.
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