"Calculation
of the Cost of an Adequate Education in Nebraska
in 2002-2003 Using the Professional Judgment Approach"
Date Completed:
2003
Calculated Base Costs:
The
study calculated two per-pupil cost number for each
of six types of districts: (1) a "base cost"
without at-risk students; and (2) an A.T.E. (Average
Total Expenditure) cost which included "at-risk"
students:
Relatively small elementary district: $8,049
per pupil; A.T.E: $8,459 per pupil
Large elementary district: $6,527 per pupil;
A.T.E.: $8,173 per pupil
Very small K-12 district: $11,257 per pupil;
A.T.E.: $13,525 per pupil
Small K-12 district: $8,169 per pupil; A.T.E.:
$10,501 per pupil
Moderately sized K-12 district: $7,653 per pupil;
A.T.E.: $10,835 per pupil
Large K-12 district: $5,845 per pupil; A.T.E.:
$8,103 per pupil
Range of additional per-pupil costs for types
of "at-risk" students across the six
districts:
$1,035 to $2,638 per pupil for low-income
students
$3,333 to $12,020 per pupil for Special Education
students
$2,619 to $11,187 per pupil for English Language
Learners (ELL)
Major Recommendations:
None
beyond the calculated costs
Special Features of the Study:
Asked
professional judgment panels to consider what resources
children would need to reach No
Child Left Behind goals
Eight
professional judgement panels (3 school-level
panels, 3 district-level panels, 1 elementary-school-level
panel (school and district), and 1 "expert"
panel) determined the resources necessary for
prototype school districts to meet state standards
and NCLB.
The
authors then calculated the cost of the designated
resources to reach the per-pupil base cost figure
for the following 6 prototype districts:
Relatively small elementary district
Large elementary district
Very small K-12 district (less than 250 students)
Small K-12 district
Moderately sized K-12 district
Large K-12 district (more than 4,000 students)
The
study separately calculated resources and costs
for "at-risk" students (low-income,
ELL, and in each of three categories of special
education) by asking the panels to distinguish
the additional services these students would need
from the base cost and then including this extra
cost. The
study uses the term "special needs students"
to describe "at-risk" students, i.e.,
low-income, ELL, and special education students.
Additional Factors:
The
study included consideration of the following: No
Child Left Behind Act requirements, teacher salaries,
technology, professional development, guidance,
extra-curricular activities, and safety. The study
did not consider facilities, transportation, pre-K,
food services, cost-of-living index, and the source
of revenue
Public Input:
None
Prepared for:
Nebraska
State Education Association; Greater Nebraska Schools
Association; Lincoln Public Schools; Nebraska Association
of School Boards; Nebraska Coalition for Educational
Equity and Adequacy; Nebraska Council of School
Administrators; Nebraska Rural Community Schools
Association; Omaha Public Schools; Westside Community
Schools
Prepared by:
Augenblick
& Myers, Inc.
National Access
Network, Teachers College, Columbia University. Copyright 2001-2008.
Relatively small elementary district: $8,049
per pupil; A.T.E: $8,459 per pupil