UPDATED: 3/10/2011
Washington Policy Center (WPC)
PO Box 3643 Seattle, WA 98124
P 206-937-9691
http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/
Key Facts about Lake Washington Public Schools
February 2011
New research released by Washington Policy Center, a non-partisan public policy research think tank based in Seattle, provides key facts for the Lake Washington School District. Education budgets in Washington State are at historic highs, reaching $10,200 per student statewide. Average teacher pay in this area (LWSD) is $58,981. Yet, because of restrictive work rules and multi-layered bureaucracy, only 59 cents of every education dollar reaches the classroom and public school students continue to lag in academic achievement.
READ MORE (student failure rate, average teacher salary, superintendent salary, spending/pupil, etc.) >>
Detailed research and ideas for reform are available in our study, “Eight Practical Ways to Reverse the Decline of Public Schools.”
1. Schools and Students
• Number of students: 23,142
• Number of schools: 50.
2. School Staffing
• Number of employees: 2,178
• Number of full-time classroom teachers: 1,244
• Number of students per employee: 10.5
• Number of students per classroom teacher: 20
• Share of employees who are classroom teachers: 57%
• Number of paid days off: 3 weeks, 12 days of sick leave, 3 days of personal leave, 5 days bereavement leave, 5 days of adoption leave and 3 days religious leave
• Collective bargaining rules for layoffs: Younger teachers with lower seniority are laid off first
• Collective bargaining rules for teacher evaluations: Numerous administrative obstacles to removing poor-performing teachers from the classroom.
3. Education Spending
• Total education 2009-10: $322.6 million
• Total per-student spending: $13,778
• Operations budget 2009-2010: $212.1 million
• Per-student spending, operations only: $9179
• Average teacher pay for ten-month work year: $58,981
• Average teacher pay with all benefits: $76,675
• Average administrator pay with all benefits: $143,603
• Superintendent’s pay without benefits: $211,098
• Number of employees paid over $100,000 a year: 73
• Education funds paid as dues to teachers’ union in May 2007-8: $1.7 million
4. Student Learning (Students in Washington state are entitled to 180 days of class time.)
• Number of full class days provided by Lake Washington Schools: 169
• High school on-time graduation rate: 92.6%
5. Exam Results - 10 Measures of Student Progress and High School Proficiency
• 16% of fourth graders failed in reading
• 17% of fourth graders failed in math
• 19% of fourth graders failed in writing
• 17% of eighth graders failed in reading
• 38% of eighth graders failed in math
• 9% of tenth graders failed in reading
• 34% of tenth graders failed in math
• 7% of tenth graders failed in writing
• 28% of tenth graders failed in science
READ MORE >>
6. Parent Choice:
Number of charter schools permitted: 0
Number of Choice schools: 11
7. Lake Washington Schools Operating Spending per Pupil
2004 - 2005 $7419
2005 - 2006 $7887
2006 - 2007 $8288
2007 - 2008 $8671
2008 - 2009 $9448
2009 - 2010 $9180
Reported By: Kendra, Intern, Washington Policy Center, 3/4/2011
Updated: 3/10/2011
intern@washingtonpolicy.org
"Accountability Index" - A sore subject for struggling schools" By Peter Callaghan, Tacoma News Tribune, 3/6/2011.
Do you want comment on this? Feel free. Or, send a Letter with your name and I'll post it. B.Y. redmondblog@gmail.com B.Y.
I am interested to know how they got their numbers. The Lake Washington Education Association newsletter just stated that $8,722 is spent in Washington per student, ranking us 46th in the nation. Wyoming, in first place, spends over $17,000. Anyone from LWEA care to address these "key facts?"
ReplyDeleteWPC may be non-partisan, but very conservative views.
ReplyDeleteNotice the 38% failing in Math. The Math program at this school district is ridiculous and has been for years. We have had to look into investing in outside sources to supplement our childrens math to make sure they will do well on their exams for college etc. It has taken parents years of complaining and years of poor math scores for them to finally change the program. However what I have seen from my kids coming home from Junior High its not a lot different than the Investigations program they had before.
ReplyDeleteNote that neighboring Utah spends about 6k per student,and rank#1combined reading and math SAT scores over wyoming #37 Washington#23, (and Washington DC at#51,w/13k+per student).It's not the lack of money or the large class size that is the problem....And i am more interested in where the LWEA got their numbers.I am certain that Kendra at WPC would gladly share her sources if asked.
ReplyDeleteYou can get financial numbers for the district at http://www.k12.wa.us/safs/reports.asp on the OPSI website. Search on "Lake Washington" and look at forms F-195 and F-196.
ReplyDelete