LOCAL EDUCRATS EXPAND BUDGET MORE THAN TEN TIMES THE RATE OF ENROLLMENT GROWTH
By FITSNEWS || Numbers don’t lie … and if you follow them (and the money associated with them) you get a much clearer picture of real world outcomes than you would by listening to politicians (who are always lying about numbers).
Not long ago our founding editor gave a speech to a group of young professionals in downtown Columbia, S.C. outlining the many problems with the Palmetto State (including the state’s establishment-friendly legacy media). At its conclusion, one of them ask pointedly “what do you want us to do?”
“Follow the numbers,” he responded.
Indeed …
One of the local government’s we’ve followed over the years is Lexington-Richland School District Five – which is ostensibly one of the Palmetto State’s best government-run education bureaucracies (you know, as opposed to one of its worst). Of course this Midlands, S.C. district has a long history of misleading the public … and has run into trouble for its alleged mistreatment of students with disabilities.
We’re focusing today solely on the numbers, though …
According to documents obtained by FITS, Lexington-Richland District Five has seen its student population shrink by sixty-one students from 2008 – the year it passed a massive bond referendum for facilities expansion. Over the last two years, though, the district’s student population has grown by 1.04 percent.
What’s been the corresponding budget hike?
In 2013, the district’s budget (not counting its massive reserve fund) was $146.8 million. In 2015, though, it has soared to $163.4 million – an 11.3 percent increase.
That’s right … this district’s budget is growing more than ten times as fast as its student population.
Like most government-run bureaucracies, Lexington-Richland District Five is hostile to parental choice. That’s because it views children not as individuals to be educated, but dollar signs to be counted – and the more children who leave the system the less money the district is able to hoard.
In fact we recently heard stories of several of its schools celebrating an increase in the percentage of students needed free or reduced lunch programs – because it meant more federal money for the schools.
Shameful …
FITS will be doing financial reports on multiple districts around the state comparing their enrollment growth with the expansion of their budgets. Stay tuned for much more …
86 comments
FITS gave a speech about education spending? LMAO…no wonder all the business people in Columbia are liberal first, and business next.
And did you tell them you promote democrats, and democrats have screwed up education?
Willie’s World:
“Like most government-run bureaucracies, Lexington-Richland District Five is hostile to parental choice. That’s because it views children not as individuals to be educated, but dollar signs to be counted – and the more children who leave the system the less money the district is able to hoard.”
Reality:
Like most public school districts, Lexington-Richland District Five is hostile to private school vouchers. That’s because it views children as individuals to be educated, not commodities to be competed for on the private market to sate the profit motive – and having a few children who can leave the public system will not generate positive change for those left behind.
Wait, wouldn’t taking some out of the system lower the student teacher ratio for those left behind? “Educational Activists” are always harping on student teacher ratios.
Student/teacher ratios are important but they’re one piece of the puzzle. Surely you’re not reducing the entirety of public schooling’s woes to one itty bitty cause?
Why can’t we focus on crushing exorbitant administrative pay and waste? Oh, right, that would help everyone, not just the ones whining about paying the tax everyone else pays.
Student/teacher ratios are important but they’re one piece of the puzzle. Surely you’re not reducing the entirety of public schooling’s woes to one itty bitty cause?
Why can’t we focus on crushing exorbitant administrative pay and waste? Oh, right, that would help everyone, not just the ones whining about paying the tax everyone else pays.
sorry, forgot to use the $arca$m font – here, let me fix it:
Wait, wouldn’t taking $ome out of the $y$tem lower the $tudent teacher ratio for tho$e left behind? “Educational Activi$t$” are alway$ harping on $tudent teacher ratio$.
Actually, there is some truth to my point.If the “elite kids” are gone teachers would have more time to direct to the “poor underprivileged …”
Please, when are you going to start? I drive by the Richland District 2 administration complex every day and I can’t believe the number of public school administrators who can afford to drive BMW, Mercedes and Lexus SUVs. I’m obviously in the wrong line of work. I can’t afford the lease on any of those cars, much less the payments.
I’d start in Spartanburg (7 freaking districts for 45,000 kids when Greenville gets by with 1 for 70,000) and then head to Anderson (5 districts for 30,000 kids, one district has 2,500 kids). I’d eventually get to RCSD 1 and 2 but they’re down the BS list a couple of notches.
Florence has 5 districts, for 22,000 kids – one district has 772 kids enrolled – thats’ the size of the Senior class at a couple of our local high schools
What a person drives is not a measure of their income. I know a few folks that live with their parents and thus have much more discretionary income (no mortgage)…which they spend on high priced vehicles…plus living at home removes them from the dating pool and removes the expenses that normal folks would be paying for dates. You should read “the Millionaire Next Door” for insight on how to have wealth even if you earn an average wage. Bottomline, you are misguided if you judge income by a person’s outward appearance.
“and having a few children who can leave the public system will not generate positive change for those left behind.”
Yes, everyone should have to suffer. Fuck those that would seek to escape it.
“Those that would seek to escape it” usually have a means of doing so without the government subsidizing it.
“usually”
Yea, well fuck those that you deem “unusual”.
The “unusual” people in this case are the moochers, the takers.
Social contract don’t real.
“The “unusual” people in this case are the moochers, the takers.”
lol, really? How do you figure that?
Are you seriously bringing up the “personal responsibility” argument against the voucher clown brigade? How dare you. Government should give subsidies to help them leave public schooling but not enough for the unwashed “others” to escape.
Muh freedumbs, muh liberty! Gubmint shouldn’t pick winners and losers unless it’s picking me to win!
“Are you seriously bringing up the “personal responsibility” argument against the voucher clown brigade?”
It’s personal responsibility to ship your kid off to get a shitty edumacation at taxpayer expense?
You are truly a moron.
Are you seriously bringing up the “personal responsibility” argument against the voucher clown brigade? How dare you. Government should give subsidies to help them leave public schooling but not enough for the unwashed “others” to escape.
Muh freedumbs, muh liberty! Gubmint shouldn’t pick winners and losers unless it’s picking me to win!
Yes, everyone should have to suffer.
You know, government should just give me a million dollars. I mean, sure, it only helps me, but if you don’t give me a million dollars, then -everyone- is suffering. You know, instead of everyone-minus-one.
No, we should focus our efforts on improving public education for everyone, so that -everyone- stops suffering. I realize this is hard to understand for someone who pushes school vouchers, because since most of those supporters already have their kids out of the public system they could care less if it improves, stagnates, or burns to the ground.
Love for DNA is limited to fetuses. No one really cares about the quality of life of human beings after they come out of the womb.. that would be species awareness.
Some people feel like the best thing for humanity is free market principles and that is what benefits humans the most.
I can see the opposite view & try not to demonize those that hold it, even if the favor isn’t returned.(but sometimes I still fail, like when insults are thrown about, like above)
I don’t think you can compare a bit of tissue with a human being, without bringing in the state, which (I feel) should be responsible for its health and welfare from conception until death.
“I don’t think you can compare a bit of tissue with a human being, without bringing in the state, which (I feel) should be responsible for its health and welfare from conception until death.”
The problem as I see it, is that the corruption that always coalesces in the state, really stops your goal from happening. It’s an unchecked power(voting obviously doesn’t work).
Some will argue unchecked free market creates atrocities as well. But is the notion of freedom(voluntary exchange, etc.) the problem or is it the power? If it’s the power, under which is their greater chance for unchecked, unabetted power?
Regardless, I understand your concerns. The question is always what is the most effective(though always imperfect) solution.
“You know, government should just give me a million dollars.”
If you are so stupid to believe that that is the argument being made, it’s hopeless to even discuss it with you.
The argument is that is costs the taxpayer less to return a portion of the tax dollars paid to those who look outside of the public school system to educate their kids and the results are better.
THINK OF THE CHILDREN.
Really though, they’re opposed to private vouchers because it would take money out of the district budget, potentially resulting in layoffs. Nothing wrong with wanting to be sure you have a job. Playing up the “we love the children so much” angle is just over the top.
Fewer kids, less need for teachers. The teacher could then get hired by the private schools, w/ more liberty, and likelihood of success.
Try to trust freedom, Jackie, instead of that yoke Obama has around your burro neck…I’ll never be your beast of burden…never, never, never be…
BOOM! That explains “school choice” and “vouchers” beautifully. Well done.
In fact, the Koch brothers (and I’m being serious here folks) are engaged in a nationwide micro campaign to influence school boards and local elected officials to change public school curricula and promote private schools. Reason being, they think there has been a vast liberal conspiracy over the last 50 years to indoctrinate students across the entire nation to hate America and vote democrat…which means vulture capitalists like themselves are in danger from an angry populace and now they are the ones trying to reverse a problem that never existed so that one day your kids will think the earth is 6,000 years old and that America never did anything wrong whatsoever.
“…Not long ago our founding editor gave a speech to a group of young professionals in downtown Columbia…” and despite his salacious exhortations and fatuous promises, not one of those “young professionals” would give him a freebie…
The population shrunk by sixty one whole students? In a district that has over 16,600? That’s a difference of less than 0.3%. If you feel school districts should be funded at the same level year in and year out without any thought to inflation you’re more delusional than we all thought.
Irmo HS has double are tripled it’s building square footage while it has less than half the students it had in the 1990s.
BS, Irmo has over 1,800 students and your claim is that they had over 3,600? Cite your source.
Wrong,…
Irmo High is down to 1,500 students, and falling. Now they’re talking about closing CrossRoad Middle. Doesn’t make any sense to close schools in the community but build new ones in the rural area. Oh…take that back….The Mungo Company needs more free sales tools to sell their new housing developments.
VOTE NO for 16% sales tax increase referendum in Lexington County.
VOTE FOR conservative school board members in L/R5.
Lexington Side – Jim Turner, Jan Hammond
Richland Side – Jeff Herring, David Fischer
Irmo’s enrollment is falling because people are moving away from that growing cesspool towards the Chapin/Dutch Fork area.,
Typical misinformation from the anti school crowd, according to the last numbers Irmo’s enrollment was 1,730 (https://ed.sc.gov/data/report-cards/2013/high/s/h3205039.pdf).
I have been going to board meeting for years and have NEVER heard talk of closing Crossroads. Then I remembered…facts don’t appear to matter to the anti school crowd.
And the “rural area” argument, its time to give it up. As soon as SCE&G starts hiring the high level staff for the new nuke plants where do you think they are going to want to live? One of the hot spots is going to be the Broad River Road corridor between I-26 and the Newberry line. Richland County will only be too happy to rezone land to allow for development. So all the angry retirees might as well get used to development in that area.
As far as your vote for recommendations, thanks for the heads up, now that I know who the anti school backed ones are I can spread the word.
Hey No Way. You are wrong again. SCDE site that YOU posted says Irmo High was at 1,533 end of last year not 1,730. L/R5’s website says this year they are 1,508 to be exact. Irmo used to be almost double that.
And boy that site was an eye-opener! MORE evidence that Irmo High is shrinking for sure and why they’re talking about shutting down CrossRoads… Irmo’s senior class is LARGER than the ninth grade class (as well all other grades in the school). Not good. If you’re involved with schools then you know that because of dropouts, the ninth and tenth grades are the largest classes. But not at Irmo. Yep, bye bye CrossRoads and hello new schools where Mungo Co wants their subdivisions.
It’s funny how YOU call folks who don’t want money wasted on fancy facilities and their unnecessary overhead and on worthless “programs” and their superfluous staff and on multiple highly overpaid admins and on sweet trips by staff and board members to vacation spots (not Spartanburg) for “business” meetings so their hard-earned money can go to directly EDUCATE CHILDREN “anti-education”.
The truth is that it is folks like you, who get some kind of “financial” benefit out of the school system and who back this bloated out-of-control thiefdom, are obviously the real anti-education group.
VOTE NO for 16% sales tax increase referendum in Lexington County. (It’s not a “penny increase”)
VOTE AGAINST – Ellen Baumgardner, incumbent – Lexington
VOTE AGAINST – Ed White, incumbent – Richland
“L/R5’s website says this year they are 1,508 to be exact.” Post a link.
“Irmo used to be almost double that.”…and that is why Dutch Fork HS was built.
You continued assertion that somehow Irmo enrollment will close Crossroads shows how little you actually know about the District operations. Crossroads is a 6th grade only school that feeds from both the Irmo AND Dutch Fork clusters. So the enrollment in the Irmo cluster is only one part of the total enrollment at Crossroads.
You predictions regarding enrollment at Irmo also do not account for what changes might be in store once the Fine Arts Magnet Program opens.
“It’s funny how YOU call folks who don’t want money wasted on fancy facilities…so their hard-earned money can go to directly EDUCATE CHILDREN “anti-education”. The fact that you don’t understand the implications of Act 388 and how schools are allowed to spend tax dollars and where the money comes from is very telling regarding your overall understanding of the issues. The money you claim is wasted on facilities cannot be legally spent on “operations”. Again, I know that facts are inconvenient for your group.
That you don’t seem to believe good facilities are an integral part of not only educating children but for making a statement about a communities commitment to education is a whole other matter.
Thanks again for the voting advice, now I can be sure and share who the “vote for” guys are.
No Way – You are all smoke and mirrors — just like the other District 5 crooks.
If you’re a longtimer then you know L/R5’s trick – just shuffling the grade configurations around in the schools. They did this to give the appearance that schools were still full after building new schools so they could justify building them. Or maybe YOU aren’t aware of how the system works.
Ninth grade was moved out of the middle schools and into IHS when Dutch Fork High was built. So moving kids to DFH out of IHS didn’t really reduce IHS enrollment by much. They also moved the sixth grade out of the elementary schools in Irmo and into the middle schools.
Then, even though there was room in our schools in Irmo, they repeated a similar reconfiguration when Dutch Fork Middle was built and created a separate 6th grade school out of CrossRoads. Their motive – they didn’t want us to see there was an empty school building in Irmo at the same time as building a new school out of town.
So here’s why I think they’re talking about closing CrossRoads:
Because these new schools are costing a TON of money of money to operate and Irmo schools are emptying out. All they really cared about was getting their new schools for the Mungo Co. And they want to build EVEN MORE schools away from town.
It’s kinda funny because I think they’re really squirming, but they have put themselves in a financial pickle. They’ll just do another grade reconfiguration, close CrossRoads and do it in the name of being fiscally prudent. Ha! They killed our town. Remember we use to be the flagship of District 5???
Here’s where we different: You want to spend my tax dollars building schools for developers and economic development in other areas of the district. I want my tax dollars used to educate children.
Step away from the Kool-aid, it is rotting your brain.
I noticed you did not respond to any of the points in my post but just went on with your rumors and conspiracy theories, without any proof of course.
I like the part where you blame the district for killing your town (Irmo). Irmo’s decline is directly related to Columbia taking over the Harbison area and all the subsidized housing that came in. I would love to know your twisted logic for how this is the fault of the district.
I know your retired, but your really need to get a life.
No Way – There you go with the personal attacks. Stick to the issues! Not retired, but I pay A LOT of school taxes every year and sales tax that goes to District 5 – like most homeowners and businesses in the area. The facts speak for themselves.
Subsidized housing did contribute, But isn’t it interesting that District 5 just happened to build new schools in the rural area where virtually no students resided? And that the Mungo Company was involved with bringing subsidized housing to Irmo? How ’bout that! FACTS – CHECK IT OUT.
Cite a source that says mungo brought in the subsidized housing, or once again it’s just more conspiracy theoris on your part.
The new schools were built between the Chapin and Dutch fork clusters right where all the new growth has been for over 10 years and where the growth will continue.
Both the CATE Center and SHHS are magnet schools so they draw students from all 3 clusters, including Irmo.
Still waiting for you to provide a link that shows the district ever discussed closing Crossroads.
Also still waiting for you to explain how the district killed the town of Irmo.
Students – 2008 to 2014 – In 6 years after passing mega bond referendum, the school district is 61 students less than in 2008 – the year they sold a bunch of trusting taxpayers on a referendum for mega future growth that never materized??? Bunch of thieves!
And a budget going up $16.6 million in just 2 years with no growth is sinful.
You do understand that when the housing market crashed that the starts of new housing fell off as well. The is the primary means of growth in D5. The Irmo HS attendance area is not going to be a place of growth, so total enrollment doesn’t tell the whole story.
All the growth is going out towards rural NW Richland and into the Chapin area. Looks like Mungo and Essex among others are full steam ahead now that housing has started to come back around. Mungo (or Exit 97, LLC) has the large Portrait Hill subdivision going up across from the Spring Hill HS, and another development in the works near River Springs Elem, as well as a tract near Dutch Fork HS for sometime in the future. These are new ones in addition to the developments already being built or expanded into new phases. Most of the feeders for Irmo HS are contracting, those for Dutch Fork, Spring Hill, and Chapin are expanding.
After trying to make sense of your post, I couldn’t resist a comment….
So you have explained why there wasn’t any “growth”. And is that supposed to explain why the budget was up $16.6 million in two years??
The last couple posts prompted me to research District 5’s records (CAFR) and go back 4 years… Holy Moley! District 5’s budget grew by over $30 million dollars with increase of only 50 students!!!!! That’s crazy!!!!!
That year, District 5 collected over $1.5 million more than it spent. But, upon a review of the next year’s CAFR, an even more shocking observation… District 5 took an excess of over $6 million!. These additional funds are being tucked aside in a taxpayer-subsidized slush fund, which according to the latest CAFR is now up to $33 million!
I’m scared to dig any deeper! Isn’t this criminal! As FITSNEWS says…shameful.
(The District reports opening enrollment for the 2010-2011 year of 16,399 students. This year’s opening numbers were 16,449 – a difference of only 50 students!)
2011 CAFR:
http://www.lexrich5.org/files/21171/cafr2011.pdf
you neglect to mention that the district opened 2 new schools in the time your mention, the CATE Center and Spring Hill HS. Did you expect them to run and staff these schools with no $$$?
Both of these school were approved by voters.
Tehehehehe! Two brand new schools and just 50 kids in 4 yrs! Sounds like you got some big spenders!
Uh…that is unless the existing ones were already overcrowded. Way to think about all the reasons there Sherlock
You do understand that when the housing market crashed that the starts of new housing fell off as well. The is the primary means of growth in D5. The Irmo HS attendance area is not going to be a place of growth, so total enrollment doesn’t tell the whole story.
All the growth is going out towards rural NW Richland and into the Chapin area. Looks like Mungo and Essex among others are full steam ahead now that housing has started to come back around. Mungo (or Exit 97, LLC) has the large Portrait Hill subdivision going up across from the Spring Hill HS, and another development in the works near River Springs Elem, as well as a tract near Dutch Fork HS for sometime in the future. These are new ones in addition to the developments already being built or expanded into new phases. Most of the feeders for Irmo HS are contracting, those for Dutch Fork, Spring Hill, and Chapin are expanding.
This is the same district that just opened a new high school, a new center for advanced technical studies and is undergoing massive renovations at two of its three other high schools. Good to know the declining student population will have only the very best. And I so enjoy hearing stories from my kids about how the iPads handed out by the schools are used by kids for games and making music. Great use of resources.
Just criminal waste of money. Building a school within a 5 mile radius of 2 other similar schools.
Schools are soooo easy for bureaucrats to push through financially…who wants to be the one that “stands against education” or some shit like that….no one…so there’s not a lot of people willing to say, “You people in education suck and don’t deserve any more money”.
Big difference between dropping a book (pick it back up and move along) and dropping an iPad (pick it up and pay a fortune in repairs). Stupid administrators spending money on toys -while teachers in the classroom are underpaid and left without basic resources (and in-the-trenches teachers ARE underpaid…. pay for administrators and athletic directors/ coaches skews the median horribly).
I wear condoms for a reason.
Yeah I hear the chances for AIDS is REAL high for you, if you don’t…
Thank you for protecting yourself, so I don’t have to pay for your very expensive, avoidable treatment.
You are the epitome of a truly compassionate, thoughtful liberal….contrary to what they tell us you are…
The difference between a blue collar worker and a white collar worker? A blue collar worker washes his hands before he takes a leak. Different priorities …
It’s funny how angry you get over someone saying they practice safe sex.
Angry? I’m thanking him for not saddling us w/ more charity cases through his reckless sexual habits, that y’all claim are secret to you…(:
That because he knows that his mother would have if she’d have known….
The chances of you getting laid is really low, so you’ll probably never catch AIDS.
What’s your Mom’s address? I’ll send her some. She needs some more than me.
Ya’ll’ want to be me so bad you cannot stand it..or at least you desperately desire the level of wit and intellect. You show exactly why you should not try to be me…you suck at it…LMAO..
I wear condoms for a reason.
District 5 has been out of control for years. It was a fatal decision to allow Richland County Students into Irmo HS. It allowed white flight from the new Columbia HS (at that time). This allowed Richland to take over District 5 and impose outrageous taxes and bonds that have crippled residents for now and into the future. They ran off one of the only 2 people trying to control costs. Now, Jim Turner (a former banker), is the only person left on the Board with Economic Common Sense. And, they are doing their best to get him off too.
You mean back when the district was formed in the 1950’s?
Are you also going to share that Kim Murphy wasted 12 million dollars on her 3 failed lawsuits over the Chapin HS project. Lawsuits in which she NEVER won a single decision in court?
You’ll never hear FITS talk about that 12 million flushed down the toilet.
I’d be interested to see a source that shows the bottom line expenditure with a $12 million loss connected directly to Murphy’s lawsuits.
better yet go read the depositions in the case from Murphy and her band of misfit toys and see that if it only cost $1 it was still BS on her part
http://www.lexrich5.org/m/content.cfm?subpage=61369
So, I’m guessing the $12 million figure is complete hyperbole.
Info on the cost of Murphy’s appeals, at least through May 2011, can be found in the June 13, 2011 board packet on the district website.
even scarier is that FITS moved into the district
Growing at ten times the population? … That’s nuttin’. Here in Taxifornia, most county g’ments grow at ten percent per year = doubling every ten years! … for decades!
One might look at a longer time frame … And examine the administration to student ratios as opposed to “teacher” to student ratios.
Keep this kind of examination going, FITS … Hands together and thumbs up!
I see Kim Murphy is busy spreading her propaganda again
Funny how she decided at the last minute not to run for the school board this term.
If you ever have the time (as I was completely bored one day), you should read her full deposition that’s posted online when she sued the school board. Even in a dry legal transcript she comes across like a Sarah Palin.
I especially like they part where the women who claims she knows where ever single penny of the 100+ million dollar school budget is spent could not recall who was funding her lawsuits against the District.
1 in 2 children polled chose cheese. Why is now a issue ?
Will must have just gotten his annual school choice consulting fee. I especially like how you write “government-run schools” as though it should be akin to the devil. You prop up choice, but wouldn’t those vouchers go to another evil government-run school? And how can you categorically call the system evil, but yet would admit that most of the teachers and administrators are good people? I think it’s important to review government finances, but your article does nothing to attempt to explain where the funding came from to support the budget. Were they awarded new grants, do we have more people paying taxes, what? Stop being part of the problem and be part of the solution.
The most beautiful thing about reading all the bullshit you guys post is knowing that usually things only piss you off if there is some unfortunate truth to it.
Knowing most of you are republicans leads me to believe you believe all things or most things unless they benefit you personally are best left to private enterprise. And the liberals in here probably work directly for the government somehow so …. anyway the fact that our public schools suck is the only thing i need to know.
And the monster of gubmint continues to gorge itself at any and every opportunity…
This is what we face now, totally unsupportable bureaucracies. They will be the death of this country.
Ugghhh…..I smell the stench of Kim Murphy again. Somebody open a window please.
I would ask FITS, which school district consistently ranks the highest in S.C. and the nation for that matter in testing, performance, graduation rates, SATs, scholarships, college attendance and sports success?
I’ll give you one guess.
better yet…ask him which one he exercised his “choice” to move into and send his own kids to…District Five…unbelievable.
Got to love a guy who wants to avail himself and his kids of one of if not the top public educations in SC and then argue that the District does too much.
Agreed! SC is lucky. District 5 is one of the really good school districts in the state. I’m a parent here, so I have first-hand knowledge.
Life has been pretty hectic keeping up with all that my children are doing in school, but other than that, I’m very pleased (and I emphasize that) with the majority of the education they are receiving.
I’m pleased because of the amazing dedication of the teachers. I attribute my children’s success to them (and my involvement) — not the business office.
I’m actually quite disappointed with all the frills, bells and whistles, and money that used on them that isn’t doing a thing to educate my children. I see the wastefulness everywhere. That’s my gripe.
sic(k) willie, “…you ignorant slut.”
sic(k) willie hates it when our Funding Editor uses that great quote from SNL because he knows it fits FITS perfectly.
And, sic(k) willie never lets his ignorance of public education and SC public schools get in the way of his attacks on public schools and SC children,
What an “ignorant slut.”
If sic(k) willie is attacking this school district, it means they are doing their job very well in providing the best education opportunities for all children the serve.
On the other hand, Howie the Voucher Clown’s voucher scam would only hurt the children who need help the most.
BIN News Editorial Staff
Flare and Balanced
I have had and currently have children in District 5 of Richland and Lexington Counties, and I also had one child in what some consider to be the best private school in the Midlands. District 5 was by far superior. After my child’s transfer into District 5 her national test scores shot up, and she was much happier with the more equitable and encouraging environment offered by this school district. Best school district in the state. by far! The students are learning a lot, and the use of technology is excellent. Some students may use the mini-I pads for music and games on their own time, but these devices are used extensively for instruction during and after school for in-school and homework assignments. I thought my child already knew a lot about technology, but he has greatly expanded his ability to do online research, create and share work for peer review, etc., since using his mini-I-pad. Today’s workforce must be technologically literate, or we will not be globally competitive as a state, and our economic development will suffer. I wonder how many of the responders to this column actually have students in District 5. While there has been a slight decline in district population in line with the economic downturn (few rental units in this district), but the area is set to rebound, and school facilities must be available. At Lake Murray Elementary School, the school was built for 750 max and they had over 800 enrolled and had to put in portables and re-purpose resource rooms. Chapin High had 15-20 portables before the remodeling, and Irmo had similar issues. This is a GREAT school district, and we should be doing everything we can to support it.
um. perhaps it is completely dishonest to look at a budget over such a short term. its like looking at a penny stock that doubled in one day. in fact it is deliberate disinformation since the budget numbers and per pupil spending are freely available.
Disinformation? How about fact. Out of curiosity, I checked it out the info to verify. Then compared 4 years (verses two). You have to hunt a bit but it is on the district’s website. Can you please explain this budget increase? My earlier post from above…
The last couple posts prompted me to research District 5’s records (CAFR) and go back 4 years … Holy Moley! District 5’s budget grew by over $30 million dollars with net increase of only 50 students!!!!! That’s crazy!!!!!
That year, District 5 collected over $1.5 million more than it spent. But, upon a review of the next year’s CAFR, an even more shocking observation… District 5 took an excess of over $6 million!. These additional funds are being tucked aside in a taxpayer-subsidized slush fund, which according to the latest CAFR is now up to $33 million!
I’m scared to dig any deeper! Isn’t this criminal! As FITSNEWS says…shameful.
(The District reports opening enrollment for the 2010-2011 year of 16,399 students. This year’s opening numbers were 16,449 – a difference of only 50 students!)
2011 CAFR:
http://www.lexrich5.org/files/…
As posted above, you neglect to mention that the distinct opened 2 new voter approved schools during this time, the CATE Center and Spring Hill HS. One has to wonder whether you were ignorant of this or simply chose to ignore it.
BTW- both the school are receiving national praise for their programs.
Tehehehehe! Two brand new schools and plus 50 kids in 4 yrs! Sounds like you got some big spenders!
46% of all Sales/Use taxes and income taxes collected in SC (around 7
billion dollars) goes to school districts and universities. Yet our HS grads
are ignorant and universities keep raising tuition. 46% of the General Fund!
The five school district budgets Lexington County combined is close to 750 million dollars if you include construction bonds. There is only 726,000 students in the whole state! Using Lexington County’s budget alone, we can appropriate one million dollars for each student currently enrolled! However, school districts get 3 billion a year! And school districts have already leveraged property millage to the point they are asking for mill increases annually! Why all that money? To pay the salaries, healthcare, and pensions for each and every school district administrator, school board member, principals, teachers plus the labyrinth of support personnel we can’t even name. It is not like they deserve it, either. Our HS graduates can’t pass the Military Qualification Exams! Our HS graduates need a year of remedial education in our Tech Schools to even begin to learn at a college level. Enough already! This game can not continue!