School Statistics

Every tax is a pay cut.  Every tax cut is a pay raise.
Citizens for Limited Taxation

Year Number of
students 		Number of
teachers 		Teachers
aides/
assistants 		Total
School
Staff 		Teachers
salaries
(millions) 		Average
teacher's
salary 		Aides/
Assistants
salaries
(millions) 		Total
School
Costs
(millions) 		Cost per
Student 		Student/
Teacher
Ratio 		Students per
Adult 		Senior
SAT
Verbal
Scores 		Senior
SAT
Math
Scores 		Senior
SAT
Writing
Scores 		Total
SAT
Score
1990 7,305 604   995     .9     12.1 7.3        
1991 7,289 577 58 944 23.3 40,381 .9     12.6 7.7        
1992 7,418 549 40 867 23.1 42,076 .9     13.5 8.6 514 519   1033
1993 7,374 542 43 855 22.8 42,081 .9 37.312 5,060 13.6 8.6 518 528   1046
1994 7,431 567 47 891 23.8 42,000 1.0 40.370 5,433 13.1 8.3 523 533   1056
1995 7,504 598 59 955 25.1 41,897 1.0 42.279 5,634 12.5 7.9 520 531   1051
1996 7,758 610 67 980 26.9 44,062 1.1 45.978 5,927 12.7 7.9 528 543   1071
1997 7,851 641 71 1,025 28.0 43,681 1.1 48.704 6,203 12.2 7.7 526 542   1068
1998 7,893 675 80 1,083 29.0 42,962 1.3 51.977 6,585 11.7 7.3 529 549   1078
1999 8,242 674 82 1,089 31.5 46,805 1.4 57.881 7,022 12.2 7.6 522 539   1061
2000 8,518 690 79 1,118 33.6 48,979 1.6 58.826 6,906 12.3 7.6 507 528   1035
2001 8,391 716 94 1,123 34.6 50,144 1.6 64.334 7,667 11.7 7.5 511 533   1044
2002 8,364 742 138 1,158 37.5 50,480 1.9 67.851 8,112 11.3 7.2 526 538   1064
2003 8,102 726 127 1193 39.4 54,330 2.7 73.837 9,113 11.2 6.8 531 554   1085
2004 8,065 692 137 1157 38.0 54,913 2.7 71.739 8,895 11.6 7.0 513 533   1046
2005 8,124 701 140 1178 39.9 56,918 2.9 73.182 9,008 11.6 6.9 524 541   1065
2006 8,085 721 153 1213 40.6 56,310 3.4 75.533 9,342 11.2 6.7 509 541 507 1050/1557
2007 8,085 701 155 1181 41.1 59,788 3.6 78.216 9,674 11.5 6.8        
2008 8,085 693 164 1193 43.6 62,831 3.8 82.952 10,259 11.7 6.9        
2009 8,223 719 159 1206 46.6                    

Class Size Issues
If you ask the school superintendent what the average class size is, he will say about 20.  The numbers below were extracted from the school system reports.  It's tough to argue with any issue of accuracy.

Is class size important?  Simple answer: No!

If you examine the 2002-2003 school year calendar as presented on their web site, you will discover that the average teacher works 180 days (and this doesn't include any vacation time or sick leave that teachers may get).

I computed my working year (12 holidays, 3 weeks vacation, 2 weeks sick leave) and I work 224 days a year.

The average annual salary in 2003 for Framingham teachers was greater than $53,000.  This doesn't include their summer job salary. If I were a full-time teacher in Framingham, I'd be earning (224 / 180 ) * $53,000 = $65,955.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in Framingham is $54,288. 

Notice the correspondence between their growing salaries and the SAT scores of their students.

If you accept the Superintendent of Schools statement that the average class size is indeed 20, then we can calculate the number of teachers we should have if know the number of students.  In 2002, we had 8698 students.  Dividing this by 20 gives us 435 teachers.  The school system reported having 742 teachers.  What do the other 307 teachers do for a living?
The SAT test has been available for 30 years.  Traditionally, about 85% of Framingham students take it, and as such, it is a better measure of general academic performance.  The maximum score is 800 in both the math and verbal parts.  The numbers in the table above were drawn both from the state department of education and the annual review that Boston Magazine does on Boston area schools.  Note that the increasing costs in schools does not correlate at all to any better results.

As a side note, Northeastern University only admits students who have scored over 600 in each part.

Send comments to: hjw2001@rcn.com