Does higher per-pupil spending lead to better schools? A Forbes ranking, “Best And Worst School Districts For The Buck” says no. I know – this is a shocking discovery. (Unfortunately, the ranking does not include any districts from North Carolina.)
Highlights include:
Martin County (CA) spends $6,579 per student and has a 97 percent graduation rate and an average SAT score of 1,133.
Colin County (TX) spends $7,048 per student and has a 92 percent graduation rate and an average SAT score of 1,103.
Lowlights include:
Glynn County (GA) spends $9,126 per student and has a 57 percent graduation rate and an average SAT score of 975.
Alexandria City (VA) spends $11,404 per student and has a 73 percent graduation rate and an average SAT score of 963.
The highlight for me was the following statement by author Christina Settimi:
Just getting the raw data is no small task; in many counties you have to call dozens of high schools one at a time to find out how many kids drop out, how many take the SATs and how they do on the exams. Since no standard method to calculate a graduation rate is enforced nationally, and the college entrance exam boards will only release data below a state level directly to the schools, not the public, we were left to trust county, district and school officials to honestly and accurately report their results.
I can relate.
HT: Chesser
