by Jay Eshelman
Yes, VDC readers, it’s that time of year. Your school boards are working feverishly to prepare the 2024-25 school budgets for your approval. The State enrollment metric has changed once again – virtually (and subjectively) doubling the actual number of students in each school… thereby understating the cost per student calculation by almost half. What used to be reported as a $22,000 cost per student is now reported as a $12,000+- cost per student. And accurately deciphering the line items in your school budget nearly requires that you be a CPA. Caveat emptor.
In my Westminster school district, we demonstrate the difference between traditional public-school education and ‘tuitioned’ School Choice. Westminster provides a PK thru 8 education program. Our 9th grade through 12th grade students attend the Bellows Falls Union High School. We have 35 3, 4 and 5-year-olds in our PK program. We have 134 students in grades K through 6. And 66 students in grades 7 & 8.
Westminster’s PK program is primarily a ‘tuition’ expense. PK is almost an incidental cost, i.e., glorified daycare. Our K-6 traditional public-school program is housed in our Center School. Our tuitioned 7th and 8th graders attend a half a dozen or so public and independent schools. And then the students attend the BF union High school.
If you’ve already done the per class enrollment comparison, you see that Westminster’s tuitioned 7th & 8th grade is, apparently, the most popular education program in the district. Class enrollments in 7th and 8th grade are 75% higher than the enrollments in our K-6, and they decline again in the 9-12 traditional union high school. Clearly, parents appreciate the opportunity to choose the school they believe best meets the needs of their children, be it in a traditional or independent school setting.
So, what are the cost ramifications? How does each program compare with the other?
Westminster’s:
PK costs $2,330 per student. (Tuitioned School Choice)
K-6 costs $31,645 per student. (Traditional Public School)
7th & 8th costs $15,818 per student. (Tuitioned School Choice)
9-12 costs $23,373 per student. (Traditional Public School)
This is the Westminster overview. Every Vermont school district is different. Costs vary. Special Education, Transportation, Extra-Curricular programs, and Sports programs vary. Some districts, like Westminster, have a plethora of public and independent schools from which parents can choose. Other districts may not have those choices. At least not yet. Build it and they will come.
And curricula differ too. Sometimes integrated curricula revolve around a liberal arts format. Other schools may be more vocationally oriented. And others may emphasize athletic programs. While others, still, provide a hybrid curriculum, sometimes affiliating themselves with other neighboring schools. The possibilities are virtually endless.
The point is, with School Choice Tuitioning there is a choice. In a monopolized traditional public-school format, parents get what they get. And while there are many cost considerations, in Westminster at least, our tuitioned programs are, obviously, the most cost effective.
Contribute to Vermont Daily Chronicle via Stripe.com – quick, easy, confidential