Growls

Based upon their polling data, Rasmussmen Report(TM) announced last week that 72% of voters said that “taxpayers (are) not getting their money’s worth from public schools.” According to the Rasmussen report:

“Nationally, the United States spends an average of about $9,000 per student per year. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 11% of voters think the taxpayers are getting a good return on that investment. Seventy-two percent (72%) disagree and say taxpayers are not getting their money’s worth. Sixteen percent (16%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

“Thirty-four percent (34%) voters believe student performance will improve if more money is spent on funding for schools and educations programs. A plurality (41%) disagrees and thinks that increased spending will not lead to improve student performance. Twenty-five percent (25%) aren’t sure.

“The survey also found that voters tend to underestimate how much is spent on education.  Thirty-nine percent (39%) say the average per student expenditure is less than $9,000 per year while only 12% think it’s higher than that. Nine percent (9%) estimate the right amount but a plurality of 40% is not sure. There is a wide range of expenditure on education depending upon the state and region.

“Most voters (54%) continue to believe that the government does not spend enough on public education, unchanged from a year ago. But that figure drops to 38% when voters are asked specifically if $9,000 per year is too much, too little or about the right amount to spend per student on education. Twenty-two percent (22%) of voters say, generally speaking, the government spends too much on public education, and that edges up slightly to 24% when voters are given the $9,000 per year figure.”

However, in the 2009 Community Satisfaction Survey Results (requires Adobe) performed by "the polling company" for the Arlington Public Schools, “86% of parents and 63% of community members agreed “somewhat” or “strongly” that their tax-dollar investment in Arlington Public Schools is well spent.” The question was worded this way: “My tax dollars are being well spent by the Arlington public schools.” In addition, 5% of parents and 18% of community members responded “neither agree or disagree” while 7% of parents and 10% of community members responded “somewhat disagree” or “strong disagree.”

As noted above, the national average of the cost-per-student is about $9,000. On the other hand, the cost-per-student for Arlington County students in the Superintendent’s proposed FY 2012 budget was $18,115 per student. Sure makes you wonder how close to 100% the voters in the Rasmussen survey would gotten to the question about “getting their money’s worth from public schools” if told the cost per student was over $18,000 per student?