Pinching Pennies with Good Results - school districts' achievement of low-cost academic success

School Administrator, March, 1996 by Priscilla Pardini

Superintendents Explain Their School Districts' Low-Spending, High-Performing Status

When Elizabeth Logan, superintendent of the Solanco School District in Quarryville, Pa., was asked to talk about Solanco's selection as one of the nation's low-spending, high-performance school districts, she graciously agreed to an interview.

Logan promptly returned a reporter's phone call, patiently answered numerous questions, and thoughtfully talked about how the district had achieved its enviable ranking. But after about 40 minutes, she became a bit uneasy. Logan's frugal side had begun to emerge. "I'm beginning to wonder how much this telephone call is going to cost," she says.

At a time when local public schools are expected to operate more like businesses and less like charities, Logan's penny-pinching approach to running her district is more popular than ever. Consider that students in her district score among the best in the country on their SATs, and her star rises even higher.

While most K-12 educators recognize that money does impact the quality of school programs and services, some school districts are achieving great results at bargain-basement prices. SchoolMatch, a Columbus, Ohio-based research firm, delved into its extensive data base to identify nine such districts for American Demographics (see related story, page 10.)

The nine districts were highlighted by the magazine in a story titled "Great Schools, Cheap." The districts ranked at or above the 81st percentile in student performance, as measured by SAT and ACT scores, and at or below the 39th percentile in per-pupil spending.

The study was based on 1990-91 data. Those spending the least were educating their students at roughly one-half of the national average, which at the time was about $5,300 per pupil.

Demographics Matter

Clearly, the results of the study--the first of its kind according to its authors--need to be put in perspective. For one thing, the analysis should be viewed as a snapshot of a moment in time. "True, it doesn't necessarily reflect what's going on today," William Bainbridge, president and chief executive officer of SchoolMatch, says of the study.

The superintendents, all of whom expressed surprise at being included on the list, know their fame might well be fleeting. "Our day in the limelight may be over," says Charles Cagno, who heads up the Valley Grove School District in Franklin, Pa. "We've been frugal, there's no question about that. We've watched our dollars very carefully. But over a period of time that will catch up with one."

Student achievement, too, has a fickle quality, says Jack Crain, superintendent of the West Independent School District in Texas. "Some years we do really well. But then a class comes along that's not as great."

Beyond that, not every school district in the country is in a position to reap the same results from the steps taken by the nine districts. None are large urban districts struggling to educate tens of thousands of poor, minority students mired in the seemingly intractable problems of poverty and violence. Quite the opposite is true. Most of the districts showcased as low spending/high performing enjoy some advantages that their superintendents readily admit make their jobs easier.

With few exceptions, the districts are located in small to medium-sized, largely white communities that boast a higher-than-average quality of life. Although not wealthy, the communities generally have stable economies and attract relatively well-educated, middle and upper-middle-class residents who value education, instill that value in their children, and support the public schools. Those who serve on the school board do so without apparent political agendas.

The districts themselves are small with enrollments ranging from 1,280 students in the Valley Grove schools to 11,300 students in Idaho Falls, Idaho, School District 91. That means superintendents can operate with relatively small administrative staffs, an effective way to cut costs. The superintendents also get to know many, if not all, of the district's teachers personally, a move that can pay big dividends in terms of teacher commitment and loyalty to a school system.

All the superintendents say they are lucky in that they enjoy good relations with their teachers' unions. Logan, of the Solanco, Pa., district, says that good relations not only minimizes salary demands, but also "helps keep down legal costs and increases productivity." Several district leaders are in the enviable position of not having to negotiate teachers' salaries.

While all schools encounter some disruptive and unmotivated students, such problems are considered relatively minor in the nine districts. In fact, many of the superintendents rave about highly motivated and hard-working students.

Everyone agrees that these characteristics provide significant advantages. "Could the Chicago Public Schools or some other district with more disadvantaged youngsters and lower educational levels of parents achieve these results?" asks Bainbridge, the head of SchoolMatch. "Probably not."