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hypotenoos t1_j7ndzh9 wrote

Yes I understand how needs of students from different backgrounds are different.

It still comes down to a question of just how different? In my example PPS is spending almost twice as much per student as the next 3 biggest districts in the area. If you combine those 3 they have almost the same enrollment as PPS but only 58% the revenue.

Should PPS be spending 3x? Is that enough?

No one can ever seem to answer what the figure is.

Over the past decade or so PPS has increased taxes, revenue and spending all while it’s enrollment has been in steady decline. They added something like 100 administrator positions in that time as well.

The funding mechanisms are broken, but so are many of these districts. It’s good money after bad until they fix how these districts operate.

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SucksToYourAssmar3 t1_j7nlow1 wrote

Your example is an Allegheny Institute fantasy, though - Pittsburgh isn’t spending double per student. They are spending lots on a large number of disadvantaged students.

I’m not going to get mad about imaginary numbers. You can’t fairly compare a large school district with lots of special needs/disadvantaged kids vs a rich, white suburban school by just dividing by the number of students. Some students cost vastly more to educate - those are much, much rarer in the suburbs.

Trying to boil it down to a percentage is just one problem with your approach. You’re looking at Pittsburgh’s needs vs rich suburbs and not considering ANY of the structural differences between who those districts serve and what they do.

All in the name of cutting money for education - something we definitely don’t need.

The magic number is whatever it takes to give EVERY student a quality education.

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hypotenoos t1_j7nt4bt wrote

I never said education funding should be cut.

You mind telling me what the percent of IEP students is in PPS versus say- the overall for Pennsylvania?

Since the need is so substantial certainly that IEP figure should be off the charts right?

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