Foundation for Education Excellence

Good Morning, it's Mr Lisa Snell, subbing in for my better half.

Lisa is in Fla. for a few days at the Foundation for Education Excellence conference. That's Jeb Bush's baby. Pretty sure those guys are focused on Florida schools and reforming some of the legal impediments to implementing tiny little bits and pieces of school choice. I think she's interviewing a New Jersey Senator for something else. John Stossel is a keynote speaker. She's is moderating the panel on school finance. I try to keep up.....

Just thinking about school and finance in the same sentence flames me out. Californicate spends over $22,000.00 A YEAR to educate my two kids. Yet I get a letter (Lisa hid it from me for weeks) from the school district explaining that this isn't enough to cover the cost of busing. They want us to cough up another $700.00. For busing. I'm hopping mad, apoplectic. And where's the notice of the school board meeting where this was discussed? Didn't get to my house.

It's simple math really, and when we're done, you'll see what I mean.

34 kids per classroom

$11,000.00 per kid in education spending

Follow along boys and girls, that's.....

$374,000.00 per classroom.

Peel off a hundred grand for teacher salaries and benefits and that leaves.....

$274,000.00 per classroom, per year. For that kind of folding long green I'd expect a limo out front at 7:30 AM every weekday.

What, exactly, are you people doing with that money?

Yes I'm aware that school funding is complex. Why is that?

The conference is also screening this: