American Spirit vs. the Truth
American Spirit:"I guarantee you DC doesn't spend as much on students as a good suburban school. Maybe they have to pay "combat duty" to teachers and more for security, but that's about it. One of DC's biggest problems is it isn't even allowed a congressman so gets no help from the Feds. No vote, no help."
Truth:"A report issued Tuesday revealed that current per-pupil spending for public schools is virtually as high in the District as it is in any of the 50 states. Specifically, for the school year ending in June 2001, the District spent $10,852 per student, a mere $70 per student behind New York State, the national leader. The District's per-pupil current expenditure exceeded the national average of $7,284 by more than $3,500, or 49 percent.
Regarding current spending and capital outlays (construction, equipment, etc.), the District's per-pupil figure was $15,122, a level that was far higher than a comparable figure for any state."
childrenfirstamerica.org
O.K. That's from the Washington Times...so lets look at another source...
"WASHINGTON (AP) — If money buys good public schools, New Jersey and New York are buying the best, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which said both states spend more than $10,000 per student each year, far above the $6,835 national average..."
"...But the Census figures show that the struggling Washington, D.C., school system spends virtually the same per pupil as New York and New Jersey, while its students lag behind many others in several areas, including skill levels and graduation rates."
usatoday.com |
