[Vision2020] Not Overspending

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (April 24, 2005) Lewiston Morning Tribune with a special thanks
to Mac Cantrell

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Not overspending

A curious mixture of accurate information, twisted information and
completely incorrect information about Moscow's school district has appeared
in area papers recently. So I studied the latest data from the National
Center for Education Statistics. The most recent information (2001/2002)
shows our school district's current expenditures per student were $7,531.
The national average is higher at $7,734. Even when we are compared to peer
districts throughout the country, our expenditures are roughly halfway
between the lows ($5,000) and the highs ($10,700). So our spending is in
fact reasonable. 

We do spend more per student than most other districts around the state, but
that's because we have decided that we want to do better for our students
than the state average which is at the basement of 45th out of the 50
states. 

All studies show our students excel academically. Despite the incorrect
numbers on student performance appearing in area papers, our students are
reaching their growth targets more often than the averages around the state.
And this even with our students having the fourth highest growth targets in
the state. But at this point their facilities sadly need improvement. 

I have been closely involved with the facilities debate and have been pulled
toward different sides of that debate, but many intelligent, dedicated
people have worked hard for years to come up with a good plan for improving
our facilities. The school district needs every person who believes in
public education in order to get a two-thirds majority for this bond. 

Mac Cantrell 
Moscow

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Take care, Moscow.

Tom Hansen

Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will
stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving
path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so
far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.

-Sir Winston Churchill