AP United States Government Project 2007: Special Report

 

Education Spending in Harwich and Surrounding Communities

 

After completing the AP Government exam this year, and after following the annual debate about the townÕs budget and school funding, our class decided to take on a special project investigating the level of education funding in Harwich compared to the surrounding communities.  We used two state databases obtained from the Department of Education (www.doe.mass.edu/) and the Department of Revenue (www.mass.gov/dls) to make our comparisons.  The analysis discussed here is based on FY06 data with comparisons to previous years where available.  Our report is as follows:

 

PER PUPIL SPENDING

 

Using per pupil total school spending from the Department of Education as one way to compare, we found that Harwich, at 11,427.99, funded our schools at significantly lower levels than Orleans, Chatham, and Brewster, and slightly higher than Dennis-Yarmouth and the state average of 11,195.97. 

 

FY 06:

Rank     Town                                        Tot. Expen./Pupil           Approx. State Rank (of 328)     

1

Chatham

$14,157

53

2

Orleans*

$13,623

59

3

Brewster*

$12,629

72

4

Harwich

$11,428

122

5

Dennis-Yarmouth

$11,254

131

 

State Average

$11,211

 

 

*NOTE:  The Orleans and Brewster figures were calculated combining their per pupil spending on elementary schools and the spending for the Nauset Regional School District, which includes 64% of the students in the district as a whole.  The Department of Education data does not break down Dennis-Yarmouth spending by town.  See the calculation.

 

NOTE:  This per pupil spending includes grants and other funds beyond general fund appropriations (federal lunch assistance, e.g.).  HarwichÕs per pupil spending from general fund appropriations (including chapter 70 funds) was $10,150.08. 

 

In looking at past decade, this represents a relative drop in spending on education for Harwich compared to the surrounding communities.  In 1998, Harwich ranked second among local communities in per pupil spending.  Orleans passed Harwich in 1999, and Brewster passed Harwich in 2001. 

 

 

EDUCATION SPENDING AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL TOWN SPENDING

 

Another tool we used to compare spending was to look at education as a percentage of total town spending, based on data obtained from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.  We found that Harwich spent 33.97% of the town budget on education, in the middle among our local communities, but near the bottom of towns in the state and well below the state average of 46.64%.  This percentage does not include employee health insurance benefits, however it is still a useful comparative tool since the state analyzes all towns in the same manner.

 

FY 06:

Rank     Town                                        Education as % of Total                  Approx. State Rank (of 339)  

1

Brewster

50.52%

191

2

Dennis

35.58%

317

3

Harwich

33.97%

323

4

Orleans

32.67%

325

5

Chatham

24.98%

349

 

State Average

46.64%

 

 

In looking at data from the last 20 years, HarwichÕs spending on education has dropped from 37.43% in 1987 and 35.24% in 1997.  In 1987, we were much closer to the state average of 41.07%.

 

CONCLUSION

 

From the data we looked at, it appears that Harwich does not support education as strongly as surrounding communities, and further that the level of education funding in Harwich has been declining in relative terms.  We think this data should be considered in future budget deliberations for the town, and that the level of education funding should be increased.

 

Harwich High School AP US Government Class 2006-2007

Megan Dillard

Emalee Ellis

Jay Gomes

Alicia Jamous

Casey Keyes

Marianne Musk

Caitlin Spaulding

Matt Van Gelder

Andy Walkley

John Dickson, Teacher