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Schools

Study: More Spending Doesn't Raise Test Scores

Some of the better funded districts have low Academic Performance Index scores, but many with smaller budgets, like TVUSD, score high, data shows.

Test scores in Temecula show spending less money per student does not mean they will perform worse, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting.

The Temecula Unified School District spent less than $8,000 per student last year based on average daily attendance, but Academic Performance Index scores were among the best.

Students in lower-spending districts like Temecula get high scores might be because they handle their money better, according to Melanie Norton, a spokesperson for the district.

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The Temecula district tries to maintain small class sizes while providing teachers plenty of staff development opportunities, Norton said, but tight funding creates a challenge.

“We have staff development for teachers at all grade levels,” Norton said. “We focus on the classroom and on fine-tuning teaching.”

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Staff development opportunities at TVUSD include new teacher orientation, essential components of instruction, a writing program called “Step Up to Writing,” workshops and site visitations for district administrators.

Reduced funding also hits material items hard.

To maintain desks, supplies and other classroom equipment, district officials seek funding outside the normal sources. That includes landing grants and developing partnerships with technology companies.

For instance, the district obtained 150 computers for three schools by way of a donation from General Dynamics Corp. this year. They were divided among three schools, Chaparral High School, Day Middle School and Ysabel Barnett Elementary School.

Like other districts, it’s a struggle for TVUSD just to keep basic school supplies on hand. “We always have a need and no funding,” Norton said.

Still, some California districts are spending a considerable amount per student.

The California Watch report shows a large funding gap among California school districts in terms of how much money is spent per student.

Some districts spend more than double the money per student than other districts, but despite the added money, some of the high-spending districts had Academic Performance Index scores that were in the lower third of scores recorded last year.

For instance, Taft Union High School in Kern County spent nearly $22,000 per student based on average daily attendance, but its API score was 674. By contrast, Temecula Valley Unified School District spent $7,388 per student, but had an API score of 856.

Big differences can even be found within the same county. In Imperial County, San Pasqual Valley Unified School District spent $14,028 per student, but had an API score of 657.

Also in Imperial County, McCabe Union Elementary School District spent $6,330 per student, but its students excelled on test scores and received an API rating of 864.

California Watch reported that its analysis is based on the state’s current expense of education per student, which includes annual salaries, employee benefits, books, supplies and other educational services. It does not include costs for building purchases, construction, retiree benefits and food services.

Some schools in the report had both high revenue spent per student and good API scores. Also, some at the lower end of the spending scale had poor API scores, but the results show extra money doesn’t guarantee students will excel, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Money may be necessary for school improvement, but it doesn’t guarantee that improvement takes place, UC Berkeley education professor W. Norton Grub told California Watch.

In his recent book, “The Money Myth,” Grubb found that urban schools tend to spend inefficiently for various reasons, including high staff and student turnover and conflicts over how to teach struggling students.

Also, urban districts often have extra expenses, such as added security, dropout prevention and for teaching students who are not proficient in English.

Funding seems to come up shorter in the more rural districts including much of southwestern Riverside County.

And the money situation does not appear to be getting better. The new California state budget has revenue projections that could fall short, triggering $2.5 billion in additional spending cuts to schools and other programs at about the middle of the new fiscal year.

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