Facts and Comps from Mark Mason

Memo Sent to Board of Selectmen
January 29, 2007
From: Mark Mason

At the last Board of Selectmen’s meeting, it was requested that the school department present several factoids and comps to help frame the school department’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2008.

Please consider the following:

…from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Education (doe.mass.edu)

99.3% of SPS teachers are licensed in their teaching assignment, (State Avg: 93.8%)
90% of SPS students go on to post-secondary education, (State Avg: 80%)
4.1% of SPS students per modern computer, (State Avg: 4.9%)

…from Boston Magazine (boston.com)

12.8% of SPS students receive Special Education services (Rank: 256 out of 328 districts)
14.7 to 1 is the SPS student-teacher ratio (Rank: 246 out of 328 districts)

…from the Patriot Ledger (ledger.southofboston.com)

Scituate ranks 44 out of 55 South Shore school districts in average salary for teachers.

…Standard & Poor’s Evaluation Services (schoolmatter.com)

Scituate is the only South Shore Community to “out perform” academic expectations for four consecutive years.
80.8% of SPS students are proficient in Reading/English Language Arts (State Avg. 60.8%)
69.0% of SPS students are proficient in Mathematics (State Avg. 46.8%)

…from internal reporting

1,200 meals served daily;
1800 students transported daily;
$2.95m in outside resources (grants, awards, PTO contributions, etc.) augments the SPS budget;
217 additional students are assigned to study halls at SHS this current year;
In 1995, SPS received a monetary increase of $820,553 to their operating budget. In 2007, the increase was $679,700.
In 2003, SPS funded staff development with $29,500. In 2007, we funded at $25,500.
In 2003, SPS received $221,700 in Title One support. In 2007, zero.
In 2003, SPS received $19,553 in Academic Support Services. In 2007, we received $3,700.