Where Have all the Students Gone? An Update
An update to Barb Schrank’s November, 2005 post:
Comments from a reader:
At $6,000 per child that’s about $16 million per year. At $9,000 per child, that’s about $23 million per year. If we kept 332, that would be $2-3 million more per year.
Also, MMSD not only lost students, which has a negative effect on what the district gets under revenue caps, we’ve increased our low-income population, which means that for every dollar the district gets, more of those dollars need to be spent on non-instructional services.
If the district does not consider the economic development implications of its decisions, we’re likely to
- see more go to school outside MMSD, or
- for the non-low income students who go to school here increased family dollars will be spent on private aspects of education- lessons, tutoring, etc.
Madison’s population in 2000 was 208,054 and is estimated to be 223,389, according to the census bureau. Madison’s poverty rate is estimated to be 13%, according to the Small Area Estimates Branch [Website].
District Enrollment
2000-2001Enrollment
2006-2007Per Student Spending (06/07 Budget) Administrators Total Staff ACT % Tested (05-06) ACT Comp Score Madison 25,087 24,755 $12,422 91.5 3544.6 61.1 24.2 Verona 4222 4540 $12,113 22 603.4 69.6 23.6 Middleton-Cross Plains 5125 5640 $12,822 21 756.3 73 24.5 Waunakee 2836 3357 $11,987 14 427.6 70.7 23.3 Sun Priarie 4776 5946 $11,238 20 741.3 62.6 23 McFarland 1951 2017 $11,853 9.5 251.2 64 23.7 Monona Grove 2702 2885 $12,289 13 388 71.4 22.6 Oregon 3430 3588 $11,572 15 465.1 59.2 23.2 Data sources:
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
- Wisconsin School District Poverty Estimates (2005)
- WISTAX SchoolFacts07
Thanks to a number of readers for the updated information.