Cost to educate soars over a decade: Why are school districts paying so much more?

By Conor Makem
Monday, April 25, 2011




ROCHESTER — Dover recently stole the crown of highest population in the Seacoast from Rochester. However, though Rochester's population has increased by 1,291 since the last census a decade ago, its student population has actually decreased by 166. Yet, over the same time period, Rochester's school budget has grown from $32,434,168 to $54,050,200, an increase of 66.6 percent.

A breakdown of the cost per pupil shows just how much more it is costing to educate the area's youth. Rochester's cost per pupil in 2000-01, according to NH Department of Education figures, was $6,097, rising to $11,605 last year, an increase of 90 percent. Dover was paying $6,356 in 2000-01, a number which rose to $10,085 in 2009-10, an increase of 59 percent. Farmington — $5,373 up to $10,371, a 93 percent increase; Milton — $5,531 up to $12,887, a 133 percent jump; and Somersworth — $6,382 up to $11763, an 84 percent gain.

Superintendent Mike Hopkins notes that the increases are primarily due to labor and benefit cost increases. According to figures supplied by Hopkins, the average teacher salary in 2000-01 was $37,068, compared with a current salary of $48,176, a 30 percent increase. In addition, insurance has jumped from $2,242,083 to $ 7,233,090 during the same time frame, by 233 percent.

"If you look at the United States, several factors stand out to me. Jobs are going overseas to less expensive labor. That isn't an option for the schools," Hopkins says. "We are also competing with local school districts for talented teachers. The Rochester School Board needed to increase employees' salaries to compete for and retain high quality staff members."

Salaries in Rochester are competitive with surrounding communities that also have high schools. The NH Department of Education cites current average salaries as: Dover, $49,104; Farmington, $44,461; Milton, $46,434; and lagging a bit behind is Somersworth, $40,460.

School Board member Doris Gates is outspoken in her criticism of school funding increases over the years. Gates, who attends meetings of the Rochester 9-12 Group, says she plans on looking into what is in the union contracts above and beyond pay. The schools, teachers and administrations won't budge, she says, explaining that private sector employees have had to swallow increased health insurance costs.

"People haven't gotten raises in years," Gates says. "And the schools are complaining because they haven't had a raise since June."

Compounding the necessity for increased school spending, according to Hopkins, are items that are not easily controllable at a local level like No Child Left Behind requirements, Adequate Yearly Progress requirements, Title I requirements, and McKinney-Vento (homeless requirements). While smaller, he notes, they all add up to an increase in the budget.

And with 11 substantial school buildings, Rochester's fuel costs have seen big increases in the past decade. Hopkins notes that natural gas has jumped from $132,035 to a budgeted amount this year of $288,491; electricity, from $385,184 to $525,544 and heating fuel, from $147,947 to $218,313. Though they aren't a huge portion of the increased costs, all told, those numbers add up to a 55 percent increase over 10 years ago.

Hopkins points out the energy saving initiatives that the Rochester School District has taken, including plans to replace all of the aging boilers in the schools with new, efficient models and the implementation of advanced, centralized energy regulating systems. Much of this work has already been completed.

Dr. Judith Fillion, Division Director, Division of Program Support for the NH Department of Education, adds that retirement packages also add to the increases in school budgets. In addition, she notes that there is an "aging teaching force that in some cases makes it more expensive." A case of you get what you pay for.

The bottom line is how the students are benefiting from the increased costs. Hopkins cites improvements in students' performance throughout the district.

"Our focus on improved reading and math scores has made a great deal of difference. We have increased our top quartile of students by 10 percent," he says. "So, we used to have approximately 25 percent of our students score above the 75th percentile. Now we have 35 percent of our students score above the 75th percentile. That is a shift in the entire group of students toward improved performance."

Students nowadays are "getting unique services. Meeting the individual needs of the kids has become a real focus," Dr. Fillion says. "That's not just special ed, it's all students. And we've had really good dropout prevention programs."

How does Rochester's school budget compare with the rest of the country? The National Education Association cites national school expenditures in 2000 at $320 billion and 2010 expenditures as $510 billion, or a 60 percent increase. Rochester sits at 67 percent.

Gates also believes that Rochester's regular school budget does not paint an accurate picture of how much taxpayer money is spent in the school system. Capital Improvement Projects, which include upkeep for school buildings, is not included in the school budget, she says.

Gates says she is frustrated that more conversations aren't taking place on how to save money.

"I think we've failed in not working together to save a dollar," Gates says. "There's always areas to save."

She believes school staffers need to change their mindset to consider how to save money whenever it is spent, from paper supplies to shipping charges.

"Let's make sure we're buying these things the best way we can," she says.