The recent publication that 27% of the School District of Lancaster’s budget goes to administrative expenses may have struck others as it did the old Watchdog as being an oversized proportion. He envisioned hordes of bureaucrats in stocking feet sipping lattes while they threw spit balls at one another. (Well, not quite that bad!)
Sensing scandalous waste of tax payer money, he sought answers. Turns out he was very wrong.
Here is how 19.9% of the total budget which is for “Non-Personnel Expenses in Administrative Costs” breakdown:
- 7.5% Debt Services (Capital Improvements/Repairs) This covers old bonds secured for school repair and construction (over past 20 years)
- 8.35% Maintenance of Schools (Roof repair, floor repair, road repair, etc.)
- 1.1% Pupil Transportation (Busses)
- 2.1% Athletics/Student Activities (Middle and high school athletics)
- .5% Community Services (contract with the Lancaster Rec and other city/county agencies)
19.55% TOTAL
The remaining 7.45% include: Overall Personnel Cost
- Board Services .1% 0
(Insurance, PSBA membership, professional development)
- Tax Collection .2 0
- Legal .2 0
- Superintendent .5 .4
- Community Relations .2 .2
- Business Services .15 .8
- Evaluation Services .5 .4
- Human Resources .6 .4
- Information Technology 2 .7computer techs, student information,
helpdesk, etc. - Office of Teaching and Learning 2 .9
coordinators, Principal for early
childhood, etc. - Student Services 1 .6
psychologists, special education case
managers, enrollment counselor,
homeless program coordinator, nurses,
etc.TOTAL 7.45% 4.4%
Looks like the mutt will have to sniff up something else to bark about!
Maybe the School District could cut back on utilities. The last time I was in the school in the summertime, it was air conditioned to sweater temperature, although the only people there was a skeletal office staff in one or two offices.