A raise, what's that?!?

With all the local furor going on about Bachmann, a few other bloggers chatted about George Will's column.

From Doug:

Money for classrooms without raising taxes

From the column:

The idea, which will face its first referendum in Arizona, is to require that 65 percent of every school district's education operational budget be spent on classroom instruction. On, that is, teachers and pupils, not bureaucracy.

Nationally, 61.5 percent of education operational budgets reach the classrooms. Why make a fuss about 3.5 percent? Because it amounts to $13 billion. Only four states (Utah, Tennessee, New York, Maine) spend at least 65 percent of their budgets in classrooms. Fifteen states spend less than 60 percent. The worst jurisdiction -- Washington, D.C., of course -- spends less than 50 percent.

Rather than simply raising taxes, this proposal would fix one of the principal reasons voters distrust such tax-hikes - they fear not enough of the money will go to the students and teachers.

George Will and Jay Reding call it the 65% solution. I'd like to call it the "Give Flash a Raise"

Hey, I'm all for a raise, but I am not sure this proposal would significantly provide that avenue.

For the record, I voted against the last two referendum that the St. Paul School Board pushed on its' Citizens for the very reason George Will brings up. Too much money in my opinion being spent on administration and not on the classroom. Until I saw a sincere and significant attempt by the School Board to reduce those cost, they weren't getting a yes vote from me.

Although the financial numbers in the article look striking

Nationally, 61.5 percent of education operational budgets reach the classrooms. Why make a fuss about 3.5 percent? Because it amounts to $13 billion. Only four states (Utah, Tennessee, New York, Maine) spend at least 65 percent of their budgets in classrooms. Fifteen states spend less than 60 percent. The worst jurisdiction -- Washington, D.C., of course -- spends less than 50 percent.

Under the 65 percent rule, Arizona, which spends 56.8 percent in classrooms, could use its $451 million transfer to classrooms to buy 1.5 million computers or to hire 11,275 teachers. California (61.7 percent) could use its $1.5 billion transfer to buy 5 million computers or to hire 37,500 teachers. Illinois (59.5 percent) would transfer $906 million to classrooms (3 million computers or 22,650 new teachers). To see how much money would flow into your state's classrooms, go to firstclasseducation.org.

So I go to the website and look up Minnesota:

Minnesota
Current Classroom Spending: 63.6%
National Ranking: 11th
1st Class Education Proposed Increase: 1.4%
Increase to the Classroom: $92 Million a Year
-- Without a Tax Increase!

We're close, and $92 million seems like a lot of money. But keep in mind that about 85% of the St. Paul School District budget is Teacher Salaries, I am not sure how they are gonkulating the 63.6 figure. I think I'll have to do some digging.

But Doug, thanks for the thought. You could always donate part of your tax refund to me *grin* My W-2 actually went DOWN this past year!

Flash

UPDATE: These figures are from the St. Paul Schools Executive Budget Summary (PDF)

SPPS Schools most recent Budget shows $400 million in expenditures in their General Fund Budget (The General Fund includes all regular and Special Education activities, student, and district Support services, as well as building grounds operations and maintenance)

in Millions
Total- - - - - - 2003/04 - - - - - - - 2004/05
Revenues - - - - - $406 - - - - - - - - $396

Expenses

Wages/Benefits - - $348 - - - - - - - - $344
Total Expenses - - $405 - - - - - - - - $400

Other expenses listed for 04/05 are Purchased Services $31, Supplies and materials $15, Capital Expenditures $8, and 1$.6 in Other (again these figures are all in million.

So it looks like the Salary percentage is 86% in 03/04 and 04/05, which is the one I recalled when I posted. HOWEVER, the salaries are not broken down by Administration/Teachers/Classroom Assistants, etc., (so I put a strikethrough on the word Teachers in the above post). I will see if I can find this breakdown.

My quest will be to see if Building Administrators are included in the 65% or the 35%. I assume, without having read the firstclasseducation.org site in depth, that they are referring to District expenses and administration, not building expenses and administration.

I'm still digging