Funding education to the maximum possible sounds like an honorable thing to do.  The KPB Assembly has been funding our School District to the CAP for years. 

After analyzing the School District budget documents and CAFR, some interesting facts were discovered.  However, one very important question that does not readily reveal itself in the budget or CAFR is, “What are we getting for all this money”?

Graph #1 shows a dramatic decline in student population.  School District projections show this trend will continue.

Graph #2 shows the result of funding to the CAP each year.  School District total spending is increasing even though the student population is decreasing.

Dividing the annual spending from all sources by number of students, graph #3 shows the average cost per student.  As you can see this cost per student has escalated rapidly.

Based on the latest budget the average cost per student is now up to almost seventeen thousand dollars.  Local private schools now charge between five and six thousand per student.  That is a huge difference which needs to be explained.

Graph #4 shows the borough-wide average certified classroom teacher to student ratio has changed very little.

The same was true with the borough-wide all certified staff to student ratio shown in Graph #5.

At budget time we always hear, “it’s for the kids”.  We must assume this rapid increase in spending per student is getting some dramatically improved test scores.  More money always means a better education… right? 

Unfortunately that assumption does not prove out.  See graph #6, #7, & #8 for the rest of that story.  Graph #6 shows the High School Graduation Qualifying Examination test scores.  The only increase seen there is from 2007 onward when grade 12 students were retested. 

The SAT results (graph #7) remain flat and ACT results (graph #8) show a slight increase in average test scores.  Not very impressive results for the seventeen thousand tax dollars per student we are spending.

Based on the information shown here, it appears the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is long overdue for dramatic change.  Budget time is not the best for having that conversation, but it does need to happen. 

It’s for the kids… they are our future.  Let’s give them the best we can, but that does not mean throwing an ever increasing number of tax dollars into a bottomless pit.  It means putting our heads together and coming up with a result based system for educating our children.

Back to the original question, “What are we getting for all this money”?  Until that is answered satisfactorily our Borough Assembly should hold the line on any spending increases.

Contact the Borough Assembly by phone or email and let them know what you think.  Follow this link for Assembly contact information:  http://www.borough.kenai.ak.us/AssemblyClerk/Assembly%20Member%20Information/Assembly%20Info.htm