MAC - Nurse $16,000
WES - Teachers ( 3) $86,000
WMS - Teacher and .5 AP $50,000
Building Supervisor - ( HS & MS) $24,000
Custodian - $11,000
Spring Sports & Athletic Director - $50,000
WHS - Teacher $18,000
SPED - Teacher $18,000
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Positive News
Breaking News from Craig Dutra: "We (Board of Selectmen) voted tonight
to support inclusion of the warrant to use stabilization funds at Town
Meeting for the current year's School Department's projected deficit."
Please share, it's a great first step!
to support inclusion of the warrant to use stabilization funds at Town
Meeting for the current year's School Department's projected deficit."
Please share, it's a great first step!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Board of Selectman Meeting
The Board of Selectmen, have agreed by a 4 to 1 vote to place the school Committee on the warrant for the special town meeting at the town meeting in May. There is a school committee meeting tomorrow night at 5:00 at the HS.
Study on Per pupil spending and Property value
School Spending Raises Property Values
School Spending Raises Property Values
"� A $1.00 increase in per pupil state aid increases aggregate per pupil housing values by about $20.00, indicating that potential residents value education expenditure."
An enduring question in education policy is whether spending additional public resources improves schools. Those who argue against strategies to increase public spending argue that current spending levels are too high and that public schools spend their current revenues inefficiently.
In Using Market Valuation to Assess Public School Spending (NBER Working Paper No. 9054), co-authors Lisa Barrow and Cecilia Rouse first examine whether an additional dollar of public money spent on schools increases residential property values. If it does, then consumers presumably value the additional spending because it increases school quality. Further, the authors evaluate whether the current level of spending is too high.
School expenditures are financed with both state and local contributions. Each state has a financing formula for determining the state aid to each district, and these formulas are revised periodically. The state portion of the contribution often is negatively related to property values because states try to equalize expenditures across rich and poor districts. Thus, it is difficult to assess directly the effects of an increase in state aid on school quality as it may reflect a worsening of other conditions in the local district that also affect school quality. To overcome this difficulty, the authors examine 1980-to-1990 changes in property values resulting from changes in state aid for schools that arise solely from changes in state financing formulas -- they control for an extensive list of district and county characteristics that may also affect property values.
Their results suggest that, overall, a $1.00 increase in per pupil state aid increases aggregate per pupil housing values by about $20.00, indicating that potential residents value education expenditure. Further, their results suggest that some of the increase in value reflects lower local tax burdens, but most reflects increases in total per pupil district expenditures. Finally, they conclude that there is no evidence that school districts are overspending, on net.
However, this overall result may mask important differences, because some school districts may operate more efficiently than others. Specifically, the authors note that because households with greater income can afford to consider a wider range of schooling and housing options, school spending in districts with wealthier residents may be more efficient. Similarly, the degree of external competition that a school district faces (from having many neighboring districts) or the district's size may also affect the efficiency of school spending.
To test whether wealthier and more educated school districts spend their revenues more efficiently, the authors categorize school districts by average household income and education level of the adult population, as well as by the degree of competition faced by the district, and the district's size. Although potential district residents on average value additional state revenues, the authors find that "large school districts, and those areas with fewer homeowners and in areas in which residents are poor or less educated" are more likely to overspend.
School Spending Raises Property Values
"� A $1.00 increase in per pupil state aid increases aggregate per pupil housing values by about $20.00, indicating that potential residents value education expenditure."
An enduring question in education policy is whether spending additional public resources improves schools. Those who argue against strategies to increase public spending argue that current spending levels are too high and that public schools spend their current revenues inefficiently.
In Using Market Valuation to Assess Public School Spending (NBER Working Paper No. 9054), co-authors Lisa Barrow and Cecilia Rouse first examine whether an additional dollar of public money spent on schools increases residential property values. If it does, then consumers presumably value the additional spending because it increases school quality. Further, the authors evaluate whether the current level of spending is too high.
School expenditures are financed with both state and local contributions. Each state has a financing formula for determining the state aid to each district, and these formulas are revised periodically. The state portion of the contribution often is negatively related to property values because states try to equalize expenditures across rich and poor districts. Thus, it is difficult to assess directly the effects of an increase in state aid on school quality as it may reflect a worsening of other conditions in the local district that also affect school quality. To overcome this difficulty, the authors examine 1980-to-1990 changes in property values resulting from changes in state aid for schools that arise solely from changes in state financing formulas -- they control for an extensive list of district and county characteristics that may also affect property values.
Their results suggest that, overall, a $1.00 increase in per pupil state aid increases aggregate per pupil housing values by about $20.00, indicating that potential residents value education expenditure. Further, their results suggest that some of the increase in value reflects lower local tax burdens, but most reflects increases in total per pupil district expenditures. Finally, they conclude that there is no evidence that school districts are overspending, on net.
However, this overall result may mask important differences, because some school districts may operate more efficiently than others. Specifically, the authors note that because households with greater income can afford to consider a wider range of schooling and housing options, school spending in districts with wealthier residents may be more efficient. Similarly, the degree of external competition that a school district faces (from having many neighboring districts) or the district's size may also affect the efficiency of school spending.
To test whether wealthier and more educated school districts spend their revenues more efficiently, the authors categorize school districts by average household income and education level of the adult population, as well as by the degree of competition faced by the district, and the district's size. Although potential district residents on average value additional state revenues, the authors find that "large school districts, and those areas with fewer homeowners and in areas in which residents are poor or less educated" are more likely to overspend.
Here is the contact information for the secretary of the Westport Board of Selectmen, Denise Bouchard- bouchardd@westport-ma.gov 508 636 1004 Please drop a quick note or call to politely let the selectmen know that you are a voter who would like them to fully support the Westport Schools. Let them know that how they support the schools will play a large part in how you vote in upcoming elections.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Taxes
Property TAX RATE: ( PER $1,000)
Somerset - 10.1
Swansea - 9.48
Dartmouth -7.85
Fairhaven -8,89
Westport - 6.27
Commercial Property Tax rate:
Somerset - 24.70
Swansea - 19.21
Dartmouth - 11.99
Fairhaven -17.87
Westport - 6.27
There May not be to many businesses in town but think of the revenue that the town could make from an increase in Commercial property tax. There is no reason it should be exactly the same as our real estate tax.
Please let me know if these numbers are not accurate, I found them online, most from the town websites.
Somerset - 10.1
Swansea - 9.48
Dartmouth -7.85
Fairhaven -8,89
Westport - 6.27
Commercial Property Tax rate:
Somerset - 24.70
Swansea - 19.21
Dartmouth - 11.99
Fairhaven -17.87
Westport - 6.27
There May not be to many businesses in town but think of the revenue that the town could make from an increase in Commercial property tax. There is no reason it should be exactly the same as our real estate tax.
Please let me know if these numbers are not accurate, I found them online, most from the town websites.
Facts!
School District spending per student:
New Bedford - $12,682
Fall River - $12,120
Somerset - $11,514
Swansea - $10,561
Westport - $9,529
New Bedford - $12,682
Fall River - $12,120
Somerset - $11,514
Swansea - $10,561
Westport - $9,529
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Westport Schools
Unless there is change in the next few weeks, the superintendent, Dr. Carlos Colley, will be forced to lay-off teachers within the Westport Community Schools as of the beginning of February. As of now the town is showing little sign that it will help with the deficit ($170,000) within the school District. The town has a 'rainy-day fund' that has 1.5 million dollars ( which is less than it should be ) but none the less, they have stated that at this time they can not fully support the schools going forward to ask for this money from a special town meeting. We as a community need to show that the education of the children within our town is a priority, and that we will not allow our children to pay for the mistakes made by those before us, who only ever cared to level fund our schools, and never pushed for anythings better. Our kids deserve better!
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