The media is awash in stories about how the Republican budget will destroy public education. Let’s add some relevant facts to a debate that is starved for some facts.
1.3 Percent – The difference between the Governor’s recommended reductions to the base budget for K-12 education (4.4 percent) and Senate budget proposal reductions (5.7 percent).
$5,040 – State support per student under Senate Budget Proposal
$5,113 – State support per student under Governor Perdue’s proposed budget.
$73 – Difference in per student support between the two proposals
2007 – 08 – The year the Senate budget levels for K-12 education most closely approximate.
$670 million – Amount of Stimulus funding received by NC public schools in 2010-2011.
13,546 – Number of full-time federal funded school personnel added to NC public schools since 2008.
11,443 – Number of NC public school teachers in 2010-11 supported by federal funding.
0 – Number of stimulus dollars North Carolina will receive in 2011-12
$8,500 “ish” – Approximate total of state, local and federal support per NC public school student.
66 – Percent of respondents in May Civitas Poll who said “No” when asked if North Carolina taxpayers are getting a good return on their investment of $8,500 per student.
Anyone who wants to know sources for figures, I’ll be glad to forward.
I derive no satisfaction in pointing out the similarity between the Senate and Governor’s budget proposals. The similarities are highlighted to blunt many of the inane arguments circulating about the impact of budget cuts. Doing so also underscores the failures of conservatives to significantly impact the budget debate. Plenty of work ahead.
Leave a Comment