[jinx]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Of course they shouldn't. The question is, what will improve those schools? Money is not the answer.

I'm curious about this so I've been looking around the internet instead of grocery shopping and fetching Jim's laundry. First off, I found that my kid's private school education costs the same per child today that PA public schools were spending in 1993. This particular private school is a democratic/child-led/non-coercive learning environment with a 4-5:1 student/teacher(or helper) ratio.

Per Pupil Spending Is $14,273 In MN (Marple Newtown, PA)
<small>County Press ^ | Dick Carpenter</small>


<small>Posted on 07/18/2005 4:51:17 AM PDT by Tribune7</small>


On June 28, 2005, the Marple Newtown School Board approved a budget for the 2005/2006 school year at $53,035,000. This is an increase of 7.3 percent over the estimated cost of running the schools this year.

Fortunately, because of the significant growth in the tax base, the tax rate and your taxes will be increased by only 4.1 percent.

During the past five years, school enrollment has remained virtually unchanged. In the school year 2000/2001, total enrollment was 3,476, this year total enrollment was 3,482.

In spite of total school enrollment remaining virtually unchanged, the cost of running the schools over this same period has risen more than 27 percent and will rise another 7 percent next year. Since the year 2000, tax millage has risen from 10.88 to 13.61, an increase of over 25 percent

<big>Sixteen school divisions - six in Northern Virginia - topped the $10,000 per-pupil-spending mark that year. The highest spender - Arlington County - spent more per student ($14,475) than the published tuition price of Burgundy Farm Country Day School ($14,225), the private school Governor Warner's children attend.</big> <big> Current-year estimates by Times Dispatch reporters indicate that Richmond City has joined the $10,000-plus spending club. At $10,419 per student, Richmond taxpayers pay more to educate students in public schools than the price of tuition at Collegiate ($10,200), Riverside ($10,400), St. Catherine's ($9,475), St. Christopher's ($9,275), and Stewart ($9,100). Northstar, a private school that serves learning disabled, ADHD, dyslexic, and autistic children, charges only $8,757 per student.</big>

I'd be curious to read more on this subject.
I think for the most part, public schools are just a very clear reflection of the community they serve.