The proposed budget for the Merrimack School system is 77.6 million dollars. That’s the entire cost to run the district for one year. An endeavor that exists, at least in theory, with one purpose. Educate children. But not very many of them. Which begs the question? Why so much for so little?
Enrollment in the last school year was 3,767 students – at the cost of $76.6 million. That works out to a per-pupil cost of $20,334.00. Advocates of the public school money pit like to argue that not all of that goes to teaching kids? That a straight up comparison is unfair.
Okay, what is in the budget that is not about “educating kids” and why is it in the public school budget?
Buildings, maintenance, transportation, other infrastructure. Salaries and benefits for teachers, support staff, and administrators. Schools barely provide any actual supplies anymore, to hear public school advocates talk. Teachers are forever dipping into their own pockets to pay for things in the classroom. But all of those things are included in the cost of “public education.”
We are spending over $20,000.00 per student per year. This year they want more.
Districts are always asking for more money. The Democrat party is touring the state urging voters to buy into a statewide tax to feed this beast. A hungry creature that always needs more money as they claim their new funding scheme will cost taxpayers less.
Public education never costs less. It’s a lie.
Meanwhile the average private or charter school in New Hampshire charges a third of that. Many would argue for significantly better results. With higher-end institutions charging more bust still less for a lot more.
Public education is a failed experiment. A broken monopoly Democrats in the legislature are working hard to protect. A task at which they will succeed unless taxpayers can find it themselves to walk against the tide and demand reform.
And not just the option to pay $20,300.00 per student as opposed to $20,600.00 per student.
Update” took the extra “student” out of the title. (Can’t afford them)
