COLUMN: County BOE asleep
Why does the Jackson County School System spend such a significant amount more per student than other area school systems?
That question is one that patrons and taxpayers in the system should ask in the coming months as officials struggle to dig out of a deep financial hole.
Perhaps it’s in that hole because it’s spending too much money and has done too little too late to cut costs?
These differences between Jackson County and other nearby school systems aren’t insignificant. For example, the Jackson County School System spends $2,100 more per student than the Jefferson City School System. That’s a 28 percent difference between the school systems, both of which are in the same county with similar student demographics.
Perhaps if the county school system were producing students that were 28 percent better in standardized test scores, one could embrace the idea that spending more equals better results.
But that’s not the case as the two systems have similar results on most state and national test results.
But it’s not just Jefferson that the Jackson County system beats in the spending category. It spends $1,800 more per student than Barrow County; $1,100 more than Commerce City; $1,100 more than Oconee County; $650 more than Madison County; and $1,600 more per student than Banks County.
So what’s going on here? Does it really cost $1,000 to $2,000 more to educate a student in the Jackson County School System than it does other nearby schools?
Doubtful. The numbers just don’t add up. The county system is spending more because it has built in higher costs than the other school systems.
For one thing, a breakdown of the data indicates that the Jackson County system is spending more on school administration costs than other systems. At $729 per student, the county is spending 60 percent more than Jefferson per student in school administrative costs, 19 percent more than Oconee County, 40 percent more than Barrow County and 30 percent more than Madison County per student.
That large differences begs the question: Does Jackson County have too many chiefs and assistant chiefs running its schools? Why are its school administrative expenses so much higher?
The other area in the data that shows significant difference is in school maintenance and operation expenses where the county system spends a whopping $1,000 per student. That is 49 percent more per student than Commerce and Oconee County; 71 percent more than Madison County; 84 percent more than Banks County; 67 percent more than Barrow County; and 91 percent more than Jefferson City per student.
These are some very significant difference in per pupil expenses, differences that cannot be dismissed as statistical anomalies or demographic differences.
The bottom line here is that the Jackson County School System has made a series of decisions over the last few years that have dramatically increased the system’s costs. Now, the system is in a financial hole, the state is cutting funds and the economy is a mess.
This is a perfect example of how good intentions without tough, conservative oversight leads to massive financial problems in local governments.
The Jackson County Board of Education has been asleep at the wheel, allowing school bureaucrats to spend liberally. The BOE asks few questions; dissent is rare. The board has become just a rubber stamp, secure and smug.
But taxpayers are not amused. There is no valid reason that the Jackson County School System spends significantly more per student than other systems in the area.
So when the BOE proposes raising taxes — putting on their pitiful face and claiming it’s all the state’s fault or the economy’s fault and that they’re not to blame — the response should be a resounding, “HELL NO!”
Until the county system gets its per pupil expenses down to the level of other nearby systems, it should not get one dime more in taxes.
Mike Buffington is editor of The Jackson Herald. He can be reached at mike@mainstreetnews.com.
Perhaps it’s in that hole because it’s spending too much money and has done too little too late to cut costs?
These differences between Jackson County and other nearby school systems aren’t insignificant. For example, the Jackson County School System spends $2,100 more per student than the Jefferson City School System. That’s a 28 percent difference between the school systems, both of which are in the same county with similar student demographics.
Perhaps if the county school system were producing students that were 28 percent better in standardized test scores, one could embrace the idea that spending more equals better results.
But that’s not the case as the two systems have similar results on most state and national test results.
But it’s not just Jefferson that the Jackson County system beats in the spending category. It spends $1,800 more per student than Barrow County; $1,100 more than Commerce City; $1,100 more than Oconee County; $650 more than Madison County; and $1,600 more per student than Banks County.
So what’s going on here? Does it really cost $1,000 to $2,000 more to educate a student in the Jackson County School System than it does other nearby schools?
Doubtful. The numbers just don’t add up. The county system is spending more because it has built in higher costs than the other school systems.
For one thing, a breakdown of the data indicates that the Jackson County system is spending more on school administration costs than other systems. At $729 per student, the county is spending 60 percent more than Jefferson per student in school administrative costs, 19 percent more than Oconee County, 40 percent more than Barrow County and 30 percent more than Madison County per student.
That large differences begs the question: Does Jackson County have too many chiefs and assistant chiefs running its schools? Why are its school administrative expenses so much higher?
The other area in the data that shows significant difference is in school maintenance and operation expenses where the county system spends a whopping $1,000 per student. That is 49 percent more per student than Commerce and Oconee County; 71 percent more than Madison County; 84 percent more than Banks County; 67 percent more than Barrow County; and 91 percent more than Jefferson City per student.
These are some very significant difference in per pupil expenses, differences that cannot be dismissed as statistical anomalies or demographic differences.
The bottom line here is that the Jackson County School System has made a series of decisions over the last few years that have dramatically increased the system’s costs. Now, the system is in a financial hole, the state is cutting funds and the economy is a mess.
This is a perfect example of how good intentions without tough, conservative oversight leads to massive financial problems in local governments.
The Jackson County Board of Education has been asleep at the wheel, allowing school bureaucrats to spend liberally. The BOE asks few questions; dissent is rare. The board has become just a rubber stamp, secure and smug.
But taxpayers are not amused. There is no valid reason that the Jackson County School System spends significantly more per student than other systems in the area.
So when the BOE proposes raising taxes — putting on their pitiful face and claiming it’s all the state’s fault or the economy’s fault and that they’re not to blame — the response should be a resounding, “HELL NO!”
Until the county system gets its per pupil expenses down to the level of other nearby systems, it should not get one dime more in taxes.
Mike Buffington is editor of The Jackson Herald. He can be reached at mike@mainstreetnews.com.
The idea of consolidating school systems makes tremendous sense in light of this evidence. Why do we need some much overhead / administration to educate our children? A conservative businessperson would never allow this type of management. Why? Because they would be out of business.
Maybe the Jackson County BOE members need to be "out of business".
Granted, these schools most likely spend more per student than this and are supplemented by private donations, but doggone, seems like they're doing more with less to me.
Point is they make a whole lot more than someone with a 4 year and only a few years teaching.
All school financial info should be public.
It's time to publish the schools checkbook registers too!
I hear Dawson does just that.
PS..is it just me or did the highschool finally stop leaving ALL their lights on at night? They appeared to be off the other evening and that sure would save some $.
Why should Jackson have to support 3 Superintendants? BOE's? Central office Admin?
Name one other county in Georgia that is set up like this and I bet they have the same problems. It seems like as long as the Tigers and Dragons can play on Friday nights nothing will change.
One problem with it is that taxpayers in Jefferson and Commerce would see their taxes go up, not much of a motive to support it. In addition, I'm not sure if consolidation would bring in any more federal or state dollars. Finally, given the recent financial decision-making in the county system that led to this mess, why would the other two systems want to consolidate? As long as the two city systems have students and can educate them at a lower cost, there won't be any incentive to pursue that idea.
I'll bet there will be no answer here in a public forum and we know not to ask at 'their' meetings; so, why don't we hire the Jefferson BOE to run the county schools?
I HAVE NO children but yet I pay the exact amount as a family who has 1 to 10 children!! I have no help, I have no private funds to help pay bills, but yet I educate YOUR children as much as you do!!! When others are helping you subsudise your offspring, shut up!!!
I have seen things there (from adults) that would Jefferson city parents crawl out of their skin. I can't go into detail without likely being sued for spilling the beans. County parents would be shocked at what goes on and how no one cares if it effects students.
It's all about keeping your mouth shut, looking the other way, and don't dare report what you witness or you will pay a heavy price. CYA is the goal not students.
There are times where all I can say is "ONLY in Jackson County Schools can that happen..............."
I realize my post is a tad off topic but hey maybe that's where some of this extra expense goes.
Not all schools and not all staff/admin are involved at what I elude to, but what I saw was enough that my children or grandchildren wont ever attend there, if I can help it.
Jefferson may not be perfect by any means, but at least they try very hard to do the right thing and they are STUDENT minded.
The things I witnessed and my friends have witnessed, for YEARS in the county, would not have lasted 5 minutes in a Jefferson school.
I think merging would be horrible. If anything they should bust the county up into smaller systems and clean house while they are at it.
As for facts, well, the numbers don't lie. The system does spend more per child than other area schools and is above the overall state average by a significant amount. Spin it all you want to, but the numbers are what they are.
How can you say numbers don't lie? Surely you know numbers by themselves, without background, can always appear to mean something they aren't. In this case, I'm suggesting that the numbers may be pointing to something other than waste. Maybe it's partly due to having a committed staff who made every effort to become as educated as possible. As to the EJCHS decisions, fine. I'm sure politics played a part in the selection of the site. How about naming the board members who made that decision? I don't know how many of the current board members were involved, but I would think I might see that in a newspaper article that cast aspersions on current board members. I'm not suggesting mistakes weren't made. I do think any thing that looks like a mistake, such as overbuilding, had its roots in our board members wanting to avoid trailer parks instead of campuses. I'm sure they wish they had a more effective crystal ball. If you want to say otherwise, work a little harder than printing a table of numbers. I do appreciate all you do.
As for the old board and current board, indeed some previous board members were part of the faulty decisions on school locations. But so were some current board members.
Regardless, not a single member of this current board has stood up in a public meeting to ask why the JCS system spends more per student than other area schools. Not a single current board member has asked over the last couple of years why the system was consuming its reserves rather than doing more cost cutting.
The bottom line is, the JCSS is broke and the system spends more per student than other area systems by a large amount. Those are facts and are obviously related issues.
The responsibility for that falls on the shoulders of the BOE. If they're going to take credit for things when times are good, then they're also going to have to accept responsibility when mistakes are made. So far, they've been silent.
How many other school systems in Ga. are in the hole $900,000?
"Committed to the relentless pursuit of educational excellence" They need to start acting on the saying they use. Not just use it.
post 2-Tim Brooks
post 3-Kathy Wilbanks
Post 5-Jill Elliott
Now is the time tax payers! Please pay attention. Actions will speak louder!
County schools don't even have a book. I want to know were the money went.