Win a $30 Sullivan's gift Certificate - REWARD

[Bill Call]

I am offering a $30 gift certificate to the best answer to the question - How would you spend $14,754 per year per student?

That is the amount spent by the Cleveland Heights-University Heights District.

The contest will be open until February 28th, 2006. I will be the sole judge of the winning entry because it's my $30, although if you want to choose a favorite let me know.

$14,754 times 25 students is $368,850 per year. That is how much you have to spend.

This is how I would spend it:

2 teachers at $80,000 per year with pay and benefits
1 reading teacher shared with another class $40,000 with pay and benefits.
1 security guard to keep order in the classroom - $30,000 with pay and benefits.
1 special education teacher shared with another class $40,000.
1 Psychiatrist shared with 4 other class rooms $20,000 with pay and benefits.
New books every other year - $5,000
Maintenance of 800 square feet of space, including utilities $30,000 per year.
One janitor for every 4 rooms $15,000 per year
Transportation - $28,850 per year for each classroom.

All employees work the 180 day school year.

If there are no entries I win.

[Jeff Endress]

Bill

For purposes of this exercise, are we to assume there is a new (with no need of capital expenditure) classroom facility already equipped with computers, desks, supplies and the like? And if we're just talking about a yearly operations budget, how does the pre-existing equipment, furniture, building etc., factor in?

Jeff

[Bill Call]

Jeff

Operations are funded separately from school construction.

For this contest assume you are given a fully equipped classroom. It is your responsibility to maintain the classroom.

In this contest you can choose to take your class to an existing school building, rent space in a house or office, rent a closed private school. Feel free to use your imagination. There are no wrong answers.

Keep in mind that the money you have is used for operations. New construction is paid for separately.

You can also use any other assumptions. You can also have more than one entry using different assumptions.

[Joan Roberts]

Mr. Call.

You have a lot of stuff right, but you're missing some things.
What are those kids doing for lunch?
Who takes care of those kids when they're sick to their stomachs, have bloody noses, etc.?
Who manages the teachers? Who manages the managers?
Who does the paperwork required by the state and the feds?
Who signs the checks? Who balances the books? My company has 3 people in the business office to manage a $5 million operation. How big is Lakewood schools?
And if one severely disabled child requires a full-time aide at $20,000 (as required by federal law, but is fed-funded at only 20%), what does that do to your contest entry? What do TWO kids do?
You might win your own contest, but both the US and Ohio Depts of Ed would have you brought up on charges if you used that formula. Sorry.
/////
One other thing. Between this and the "Crocker Park" thread, I've noticed some unusual fixation with Cleveland Heights? Is Cleveland Heights the standard by which we're judging Lakewood? Lakewood schools spend 25% less than CH/UH. Why are they relevant?

[Bill Call]

Mr. Call.

You have a lot of stuff right, but you're missing some things.
What are those kids doing for lunch?
Who takes care of those kids when they're sick to their stomachs, have bloody noses, etc.?
Who manages the teachers?
Who does the paperwork required by the state and the feds?
Who signs the checks? Who balances the books?
And if one severely disabled child requires a full-time aide (as required by federal law, but is fed-funded at only 20%), what does that do to your contest entry?
You might win your own contest, but both the US and Ohio Depts of Ed would have you brought up on charges if you used that formula. Sorry.

So how would you spend the money? You can use those assumptions if you like. I win only if no one else enters.

[stephen davis]

So how would you spend the money?

The $30? Oh, rather than spend it at Sullivan's, I'd go buy a sweatshirt at the Ranger Shop.

[Brad Babcock]

I don't mean to get too far off-track before getting back to the Lakewood Schools, but there is an interesting point about Lakewood and Cleveland Heights. Having grown-up in Lakewood and South Euclid (within 50 meters of Cleveland Heights), I've noticed some strong parallels between the two.
Both are directly adjacent to Cleveland. Both have a fairly eclectic population mix that ranges from old money to bohemian. Both were early suburbs of Cleveland, with older housing stock, infrastructure, and city lay-outs. Both have maintained a strong culture, and aged gracefully.
There are plenty of differences as well, but each city can take lessons from the other in terms of what works and what does not, as they share many of the same strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. Those lessons must be tempered with common sense. The effects of the similarities and differences must be recognized when residents of each of these bookend cities examines the other for perspective.

[Jeff Endress]

Bill, whose contest this is, opined

This is how I would spend it:

2 teachers at $80,000 per year with pay and benefits
1 reading teacher shared with another class $40,000 with pay and benefits.
1 security guard to keep order in the classroom - $30,000 with pay and benefits.
1 special education teacher shared with another class $40,000.
1 Psychiatrist shared with 4 other class rooms $20,000 with pay and benefits.
New books every other year - $5,000
Maintenance of 800 square feet of space, including utilities $30,000 per year.
One janitor for every 4 rooms $15,000 per year
Transportation - $28,850 per year for each classroom.

All employees work the 180 day school year.

As my first option for spending the hypothetical 368 K, I'd hire :

A business manager to explain how you can maintain
a school without a state mandated administration or
how to obtain administrative services gratis 200K

A Law firm to deal with legal issues that arise from lack of
necessary personnel to comply with mandated guidelines 150K

A CPA/MBA to examine a business plan that fails to
account for equipment retirement/replacement 38K

I tried to come up with a budget which would address all the needs required of a hypothetical school system, but I haven't been able to do it 368K. BUT, I'm gonna keep trying!

Jeff

[Bill Call]

Bill, whose contest this is, opined

This is how I would spend it:

2 teachers at $80,000 per year with pay and benefits
1 reading teacher shared with another class $40,000 with pay and benefits.
1 security guard to keep order in the classroom - $30,000 with pay and benefits.
1 special education teacher shared with another class $40,000.
1 Psychiatrist shared with 4 other class rooms $20,000 with pay and benefits.
New books every other year - $5,000
Maintenance of 800 square feet of space, including utilities $30,000 per year.
One janitor for every 4 rooms $15,000 per year
Transportation - $28,850 per year for each classroom.

All employees work the 180 day school year.

As my first option for spending the hypothetical 368 K, I'd hire :

A business manager to explain how you can maintain
a school without a state mandated administration or
how to obtain administrative services gratis 200K

A Law firm to deal with legal issues that arise from lack of
necessary personnel to comply with mandated guidelines 150K

A CPA/MBA to examine a business plan that fails to
account for equipment retirement/replacement 38K

I tried to come up with a budget which would address all the needs required of a hypothetical school system, but I haven't been able to do it 368K. BUT, I'm gonna keep trying!

Jeff

Lakewood City Schools spend about $200,000 to maintain a classroom of 20 students. Are you implying that they are in violation of Federal and State laws?

[Jeff Endress]

Bill inquired

Lakewood City Schools spend about $200,000 to maintain a classroom of 20 students. Are you implying that they are in violation of Federal and State laws?

No, I'm not implying anything of the sort. My concern stems from the gaping holes in your hypothetical budget for your hypothetical classroom that has no expenditures for school administration, no line item for depreciation/replacement of school equipment and insufficient personnel to meet the needs of students with IEP's, ESL programs, funding for school crossing guards, or mundane items such as Worker's Comp insurance, Unemployment Insurance and property/casualty/liability insurance. I think that such a program would place your hypothetical classroom in violation of Federal and State laws. Fortunately, the real school system that Lakewood maintains has budgeted for the necessaries unaccounted for in your hypothetical classroom.

Still working on a budget for my hypothetical classroom. Hope to have it completed soon, as soon as I get the figures for insurance, and the costs of having legal counsel on retainer, etc.

Is there a deadline?

Jeff

[Joan Roberts]

Mr. Call.

This is a very frustrating, and I think unproductive, discussion, because you're not responding at all to what people seem to be telling you. You're clinging a simplistic notion of little self-contained, one-room schoolhouses where x number students get taught for x number of dollars.
Whether you choose to accept it or not, public education is vastly more complex than that, and local districts have to go along with the system.
There are quite a few things wrong with public education. You and I would agree on some things, I believe, and disagree on others. But please, can we discuss this with the acknowledgement that the world is a complicated place and that schools are some of the most complicated of all?

[Bill Call]

Mr. Call.

But please, can we discuss this with the acknowledgment that the world is a complicated place and that schools are some of the most complicated of all?

Ms. Roberts:

I disagree. The teachers, parents, administrators and students at the Lakewood Catholic Academy started a new school and got it up and running in a matter of months. I have no doubt that it will be one of the best schools in the state. They are doing it for a per student cost of $4,500 per student.

I do agree that the National Education Association and the Federal Government have created an administrative nightmare for school officials.
Governments take a simple process and make it incredibly complex. Of course many people think the solution is to have more federal involvement. I don't.

I think people hesitate to take me up on my offer because they realize that most schools have more than enough money. Cleveland Heights spends nearly $100,000 more on a classroom than Parma. Yet Parma gets better results. No one seems to be curious as to why.

[Danielle Masters]

The teachers, parents, administrators and students at the Lakewood Catholic Academy started a new school and got it up and running in a matter of months. I have no doubt that it will be one of the best schools in the state. They are doing it for a per student cost of $4,500 per student.

Mr Call I don't doubt that LCA is a fabulous school, but I would like to know just how many special needs students they serve? And I don't just mean handicapped students I also mean highly gifted students. Lakewood has a variety of students with varying needs and honestly not everyone of them can be educated on $4,500 a year. That is just not realistic.

[Jeff Endress]

Ms. Roberts

Your point is well taken indeed. The per student education dollars are based on system-wide expenditures. Thus any hypothetical budget, to be a meaningful excercise, would also have to be system-wide. Using the system wide per student dollar figures, and then crafting a classroom by classroom budget is an apples to bananas exercises and does not take into account system wide resources (athletic fields, school board facilities, administration expenses, auditoriums, etc.) which are a part of the per student numbers.

BUT, I working hard to get those together so I can submit my entry. I love a contest and a free pint O' Guinness at Sullivan's would be swell.

Jeff

[Jeff Endress]

Just so you know where I come up with my figures:

It is not possible to “budgetâ€Â￾ for a single classroom. There are too many shared resources, systemwide which are part and parcel of the total cost which is the starting point, which when divided by total enrollment, gives the per student costs.

I’m assuming that our virtual classroom is in a school building of 16 virtual classrooms, each with 25 students (with a total school population of 400 for the building). The building is one of 10 substantially similar buildings is a hypothetical district of 4000 children that enjoys normal shared facilities such Athletic fields, swimming pools, auditoriums, etc. The Figures are for the costs for our virtual classroom, or 1/16th of the virtual school building, or 1/160th of the virtual school district as noted.

School system administration (including Board headquarters,
Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, 2 Curriculum specialists,
System special needs co-coordinator, specialized programs for
vocational education, three panel trucks and drivers, replacement
set asides for replacement of board equipment, Athletic director,
costs (above ticket/rental revenues and pay to play fees) of maintaining
Football field, Baseball field, Soccer field, additional practice field,
ice rink for hockey, tennis courts, Gymnasium, Central auditorium
Staff, utilities, upkeep, board related supplies,
Janitorial. 1/160 of 5.0 mill. 31,250.00
1/160 of system insurance including property/liability,
Worker’s Comp,Unemployment) 4,600.00
1/160 of system attendance/grade/scheduling
computer and/or server with software
(5 year life , 1 Mill.) 1,250.00
1/160th Outside Legal, accounting professional
contracts 4,125.00
1/160th Costs of system wide mandated testing (not including
Teacher or class time) 2,500.00
Transportation:
1/160th 100 buses, (Depreciated over 10 years) 115 drivers
(allowance for sick time) Insurance, garage facility, maintenance
facility, 4 mechanics, fuel, etc. 27,625.00
160th of maintain central kitchen/staff/delivery
beyond receipts for food sales 4,125.00

Capital Improvement/replacement set asides:
Desks/furniture ($300.00 per desk (25), lifespan 20 years) 9,375.00
Computers (1300.00 per computer (5), lifespan 5 years) 1,300.00
Computer software, licenses 1,000.00
Audio visual/vcrs, Tv,s etc. 1,000.00
1/16 building maintenance yearly budget 7,250.00


Common employees/facility costs:
1/16 of School library yearly costs 4,000.00
1/16 of librarian/media specialist salary 3,750.00
1/16 Lunch Lady salary X 3 2,400.00
1/16 Custodian salary X 3 7,500.00
1/16 Music teacher 5,000.00
1/16 Art Teacher 5,000.00
1/16 Counselor/psychologist (Part time) 5,000.00
1/16 Principal 6,250.00
1/16 School Secretary 2,500.00
1/16 School nurse (part time) 1,500.00
1/16 Security guard X 2 3,750.00
1/16 Special Ed x 2 10,000.00
1/16 ESL program 2,500.00
1/16 Office costs, expenses 2,000.00
1/16 costs of music program
(music, instruments, contest fees, etc.) 500.00
Substitute teacher budget 700.0
Utilities 35,000.00

New Books every other year 5,000.00
Classroom consumables, paper, etc. 5,000.00
Teacher aids (in class for students with mandated
IEP/special needs, including gifted/ challenged 25,000.00
2 full time teachers @ 70,535.00 (Non advanced
degree, minimal experience)
Salary of 50K benefits (Pension, Health Ins.)
20K) 141,070.00

Sullivan’s gift certificate 30.00

It was really hard to make sure I got all the system wide shared expenses included. BUT I think they are all there. So, I can see that 14K per student should just about do it. What happens when we have less. Where do we cut. And when can I pick up the certificate.

Jeff