Educational Disparities

Last Updated on 1/30/99
By James Unnever

Monday, February 15, 1999
VEA report outlines spending disparities
Gaps by locality affect schools

A student in Norfolk is eight times more likely to drop out than one in Roanoke County.

By JOEL TURNER
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   Where children grow up in Virginia determines the amount of money that is spent on their schools and paid to their teachers.

    Falls Church spent $9,848 per pupil in 1997. Warren County spent $4,646.

    They were the top and the bottom in per-pupil spending among the state's 133 school divisions, according to a recent report by the Virginia Education Association, a teachers' organization.

    Alexandria had the highest average teachers' salary at $43,604 while Highland County, the smallest school division in the state with 370 students, had the lowest, $26,078.

    Where students grow up also can increase the odds of their dropping out.

    A student in Norfolk is eight times more likely to drop out than his counterpart in Roanoke County. In 1997, Norfolk had one of the highest dropout rates, 8.2 percent, while Roanoke County's was 1.2 percent, one of the lowest in the state. The state average was 3.5 percent.

    "This new data reminds us again that where a child lives in Virginia continues to make an enormous difference in the quality of his or her education," said Cheri James, VEA president.

    The study shows:

    A $5,200 gap in per-pupil spending on schools.

    A $17,500 difference in the average salaries for teachers.

    A difference of 8 percentage points in dropout rates among school divisions.

    A gap of 53 percent in the proportion of high school graduates continuing their education.

    The state's new Standards of Learning test results have focused attention on spending disparities among schools and the correlation between test scores and socioeconomic factors.

    Statewide, the highest SOL scores were generally in affluent, suburban communities and the lowest were in rural counties and inner cities.

    The state pays up to 82 percent of the cost of meeting state staffing standards and certain other school expenses in some poor localities, but only 20 percent in affluent school divisions.

    To help equalize state funding for education, the state calculates a composite index of a locality's financial ability to help pay for schools. The index includes the locality's value of real estate, taxable retail sales and adjusted gross income. The poorer a locality, the greater the amount of state funds going to that locality.

    The VEA is worried that Gov. Jim Gilmore's proposal to distribute state lottery profits through that school funding formula will aggravate the disparities, James said.

    "The reason is that localities may use "freed-up' local funds generated by running lottery proceeds through the formula for other local spending priorities instead of using them for public education," she said. "We support earmarking lottery proceeds for public education outside the funding formula."

    The disparities in spending for schools have widened in recent years.

    Wide disparities remain, as the VEA report shows, because the state helps pay the cost of only minimum standards on class size and educational programs.

    Most school divisions have more teachers and programs than the state requires, and they have to pay the full cost of personnel and programs that exceed the state mandates.

    VEA officials said many poor localities cannot afford to hire as many teachers or pay salaries comparable to those in affluent communities.

    In the early 1990s, a group of localities sued the state, claiming that the system for funding schools was unconstitutional because it failed to provide a uniform system of public education with equal opportunity for all children in Virginia.

    The Virginia Supreme Court rejected the argument and ruled that the state constitution does not require the elimination of disparities.

    The high court said the General Assembly is the ultimate authority for determining the standards of quality for school divisions.

    There are wide differences in spending on schools in Western Virginia, too.

    Bath County spent $8,656 per pupil in 1997, while Bedford County spent $4,650 and Franklin County, $4,908.

    In Roanoke, the amount was $6,497, while in Floyd County, it was $5,267. Roanoke County spent $5,998.

    The state average for school operations was $5,907.

    Roanoke and Roanoke County were the only school divisions in the New River and Roanoke valleys whose per-pupil spending was above the state average.

    The operations cost includes regular school, summer school, food services and other educational programs. It does not include school construction or debt payments.

    On a per pupil basis, Craig County receives the most state school money among localities in the New River and Roanoke valleys. Craig received $2,919 per pupil in 1997, followed by Floyd County at $2,735 and Giles County, $2,722. Salem received the least state money, $2,026 per pupil.

    Roanoke County was the top spender in local money on schools, $3,121 per pupil, followed by Salem, $3,064, and Roanoke, $3,009.

   Craig County provided the least local money, $1,543 per pupil.

    Teachers' salaries vary widely in the state and some of the lowest are in rural counties in Southside and Southwest Virginia.

    The state average was $35,536 in 1997.

    Radford, Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem were above the state average while the rest of the school divisions in the Roanoke and New River valleys were below it.

    Salem ranked seventh in the state in average salaries at $39,442; Roanoke County was 11th at $37,279; and Roanoke was 14th at $36,402. All three localities in the Roanoke Valley have given raises to teachers since the VEA report was prepared and their averages are higher now.

    The bottom three in average salaries in the region were Bedford, Craig and Floyd counties.