Comments on: 97217: The Neighborhood That Gives… and Gives… and Gives… http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2007/08/26/97217_the_neighborhood_that_gives_and_gives_and_gives/ Peace, Justice and Hockey Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:40:29 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: heath http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2007/08/26/97217_the_neighborhood_that_gives_and_gives_and_gives/#comment-9525 heath Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:58:14 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2007/08/26/97217_the_neighborhood_that_gives_and_gives_and_gives/#comment-9525 I've just started looking into the problems that have been plaguing PPS. I attended Applegate - now closed, Ockley Green - now converted to K8 with an adult store across the street, and Benson - well...*just speechless*. I have a bit more research to do before I open my mouth too far, but for now I'm wondering how they come by these 'budget per student' figures. It looks to me that the 06-07 budget for PPS was upwards of $554M and enrollment at 46,348 students. That would make the average close to $12,000 per student. So, what's not being taken into consideration and why? Is it just more palatable for the taxpayers to hear the lower figure? Thanks for the blog and your insights. More communication to come when I have a bit more time. I’ve just started looking into the problems that have been plaguing PPS. I attended Applegate – now closed, Ockley Green – now converted to K8 with an adult store across the street, and Benson – well…*just speechless*.

I have a bit more research to do before I open my mouth too far, but for now I’m wondering how they come by these ‘budget per student’ figures. It looks to me that the 06-07 budget for PPS was upwards of $554M and enrollment at 46,348 students. That would make the average close to $12,000 per student. So, what’s not being taken into consideration and why? Is it just more palatable for the taxpayers to hear the lower figure?

Thanks for the blog and your insights. More communication to come when I have a bit more time.

]]> By: Elizabeth http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2007/08/26/97217_the_neighborhood_that_gives_and_gives_and_gives/#comment-9433 Elizabeth Tue, 28 Aug 2007 04:19:35 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2007/08/26/97217_the_neighborhood_that_gives_and_gives_and_gives/#comment-9433 No, no, I understand your point and agree with it. I guess I was just voicing the things I'm not sure of. I wondered if the more money spent on Jefferson kids is for the usual reasons, or if there was some kind of corruption going on there, or what. And I wonder what they're showing for it. But I think it's a very valid point that we should be looking for ways to keep the money in the neighborhood, just as I try to buy local fruit and not fruit grown in Hawaii or even California. And my neighborhood would be better if we better educated the kids living in it. Just an aside....a cop car released a man who had been arrested, right in front of my house today. He'd been accused of attacking a woman and snatching her purse. Then it was found that they knew each other. "We could have hauled her in, too!" the policewoman said to me, by way of reasoning why they were letting him go. He'd run right through my backyard, I gather, in his pursuit to get away. Big sigh. Nothing like this ever happened when we lived in 97212... No, no, I understand your point and agree with it. I guess I was just voicing the things I’m not sure of. I wondered if the more money spent on Jefferson kids is for the usual reasons, or if there was some kind of corruption going on there, or what. And I wonder what they’re showing for it. But I think it’s a very valid point that we should be looking for ways to keep the money in the neighborhood, just as I try to buy local fruit and not fruit grown in Hawaii or even California. And my neighborhood would be better if we better educated the kids living in it.

Just an aside….a cop car released a man who had been arrested, right in front of my house today. He’d been accused of attacking a woman and snatching her purse. Then it was found that they knew each other. “We could have hauled her in, too!” the policewoman said to me, by way of reasoning why they were letting him go. He’d run right through my backyard, I gather, in his pursuit to get away. Big sigh. Nothing like this ever happened when we lived in 97212…

]]> By: Himself http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2007/08/26/97217_the_neighborhood_that_gives_and_gives_and_gives/#comment-9417 Himself Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:11:25 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2007/08/26/97217_the_neighborhood_that_gives_and_gives_and_gives/#comment-9417 Budget per student is generally higher at schools in poorer neighborhoods for several reasons. First, there is federal Title I money in the mix, which in the case of Jefferson funds 1.29 Full-time Equivalent (FTE) positions. PPS also throws extra general fund money at poorer schools. Another factor is that with student population lower from transfers out, the ratio of administrators to students is higher, contributing to a higher cost per student. It is well-documented that it costs more to educate disadvantaged children, so it should be no surprise that we're spending more per student in schools that are overwhelmingly populated with disadvantaged kids. But my study of these numbers isn't about that; it's about inequitable PPS distribution of state general fund tax revenue around the city. Even if you home school or send your kids to private school, this affects you. This money belongs in the areas where people live, but PPS transfer policy is robbing our poorest neighborhoods and giving it to the richest. This affects livability and property values for everybody, whether they have kids in PPS or not. Budget per student is generally higher at schools in poorer neighborhoods for several reasons. First, there is federal Title I money in the mix, which in the case of Jefferson funds 1.29 Full-time Equivalent (FTE) positions. PPS also throws extra general fund money at poorer schools. Another factor is that with student population lower from transfers out, the ratio of administrators to students is higher, contributing to a higher cost per student.

It is well-documented that it costs more to educate disadvantaged children, so it should be no surprise that we’re spending more per student in schools that are overwhelmingly populated with disadvantaged kids.

But my study of these numbers isn’t about that; it’s about inequitable PPS distribution of state general fund tax revenue around the city. Even if you home school or send your kids to private school, this affects you. This money belongs in the areas where people live, but PPS transfer policy is robbing our poorest neighborhoods and giving it to the richest.

This affects livability and property values for everybody, whether they have kids in PPS or not.

]]> By: Elizabeth http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2007/08/26/97217_the_neighborhood_that_gives_and_gives_and_gives/#comment-9413 Elizabeth Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:06:22 +0000 http://morehockeylesswar.org/blog/archive/2007/08/26/97217_the_neighborhood_that_gives_and_gives_and_gives/#comment-9413 Interesting numbers. I live in 97217....and we homeschool. We've been kicking around the idea of our oldest attending high school, though, and sending her to Jefferson terrifies me. But I can see the validity of all your arguments for keeping it at home. I don't know what the solution is (besides maybe keep on homeschooling?). I'm wondering about the $7614 per student that Jefferson spends according to your chart above. Why do they spend so much more than other schools, and does that amount go to the school that's receiving the students from it's district? I just don't even have nearly enough information about Portland Public Schools (having 1. homeschooled for all of our kids' lives and 2. just moved to Portland in 2005) to make a good decision right now, or have an opinion of what should happen with the system. So I guess I'll keep reading. Interesting numbers. I live in 97217….and we homeschool. We’ve been kicking around the idea of our oldest attending high school, though, and sending her to Jefferson terrifies me. But I can see the validity of all your arguments for keeping it at home. I don’t know what the solution is (besides maybe keep on homeschooling?).

I’m wondering about the $7614 per student that Jefferson spends according to your chart above. Why do they spend so much more than other schools, and does that amount go to the school that’s receiving the students from it’s district? I just don’t even have nearly enough information about Portland Public Schools (having 1. homeschooled for all of our kids’ lives and 2. just moved to Portland in 2005) to make a good decision right now, or have an opinion of what should happen with the system. So I guess I’ll keep reading.

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