Published: October 01, 2008 12:48 pm            

New interactive Web site provides information on Georgia education spending

Submitted by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation



ATLANTA — The Georgia Public Policy Foundation has released an interactive Web site that tracks, down to the penny, more than $14 billion in spending throughout Georgia's 180 school systems and more than 2,000 schools.

Available at http://reportcard.gppf.org/, the spending details on the Web site are based on data from the Georgia Department of Education and show how money is allocated among each school system's central office and its individual schools. Every dollar amount is categorized into one of 11 different functions, such as spending for instruction or administration, and more than 100 detailed spending areas such as supplies, books or salaries.

"For the first time ever, parents can find out exactly how much money their school is receiving from their school system and how much is being spent at the central office, information that will be helpful to school councils," said Kelly McCutchen, executive vice president of the Foundation.

"The Georgia Public Policy Foundation started a transparency initiative for this state because we believe transparency is good government. Everyone spends money more carefully if they know someone is looking over their shoulder. We know, based upon the experience in other states, that transparency will lead to cost savings as we identify duplication, waste and opportunities for efficiencies.

"Best of all, in this case, such education cost savings lead to more money reaching the classroom and taxpayers gaining needed property tax relief," McCutchen added.

Sandra Fabry, executive director of the Center for Fiscal Accountability, a project of the Washington-based Americans for Tax Reform, described the Web site as "the most detailed single school spending transparency Web site we have seen."

"Congratulations to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation for giving Georgia parents such a great tool to track how their children's schools are spending their tax dollars," Fabry said.

The data exclude capital spending, such as buildings or buses. The data are available per student or total dollar amounts. All of the data can be easily downloaded for Georgians who want to conduct their own analysis. Interactive charts allow users to compare per-student spending to similar schools across the state.

Also available on the Web site is the Report Card for Parents, the academic achievement data and school rankings that the Foundation has published annually for over a decade.

"We believe every parent and taxpayer has a right to know how their money is being spent in our public schools, but during these difficult budget times it is even more critical," McCutchen said. "In most communities, the majority of local property taxes are spent on education and the majority of our state budget is spent on education. Georgia has increased per-student spending on education over the last 20 years by more than all but one state. Such transparency will help ensure we are spending every dollar wisely."

The Foundation cautions that not all school systems allocate spending in the same manner. For example, spending by the school system on transportation or facility maintenance may benefit a particular school but may not be reported at the school level if the school system chooses not to individually allocate those expenses. Individuals interested in learning more about financial procedures should contact their local school system officials.

The Georgia Public Policy Foundation, a think tank formed in 1991, is a nonpartisan, member-supported research and education foundation that promotes free markets, limited government and individual responsibility.

        

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