School Budget
There was a letter to the Editor in yesterdays Eagle Tribune from the business administrator for Methuen Public Schools. he tried to explain the dire straits that the school system is in.
The article can be read here:
http://www.eagletribune.com/puopinion/local_story_276185613.html
The Schools are in a pickle, partly, because we accept so much state aid. It is not always a bad thing to accept assistance, however, when you begin to rely upon that assistance as your source of funding, you lay yourself open to problems, such as we see today.
Looking at the numbers posted by the State for FY2008, these are the last numbers I found on line, we see the following.
Chapter 70 Aid; $37,369,988 Ranked # 421 0f 437 reporting districts.
Additional assistance;$163,026 Ranked 257 of 437 reporting districts.
Lottery Aid Funded Through Lottery Revenues;$5,727,102
Ranked # 324 of 437 reporting districts.
General Fund Supplement to Hold Harmless Lottery Aid;$876,878 Ranked # 324 of 437 reporting districts.
The higher the number ranking the more dependant upon the State we become.
I pass no judgement on the good or bad of this situation. I would need to compare other statistics to determine if we are getting our moneys worth from this relationship.Â
Instead of all the rhetoric about personality, let’s look at the cost of education in Massachusetts, the available funding sources and how can we purchase the best education for our childrens future.