Rhee’s DC record: highest per pupil spending ever but poorest student achievement gains among all cities tested
Under her watch, Rhee resorted to smoke and mirrors to claim budgetary constraints. Attorney Mary Levy, fiscal analyst of education budgets and frequent expert witness in DC Council hearings, sent the following fiscal table showing DCPS 07-11 funding and spending.
Levy writes: “Per student spending from all funding sources rose by $3,744 in the four years from 2007 to 2011, a total of 27%, compared to local inflation of 10%. A cause for concern is that much of the $80 million increase was funded by increases in special Congressional earmarks ($27 million) big foundation grants ($20 million) and federal entitlement grants ($6 million). Federal stimulus funding increased by $22 million. Cutbacks in any of these sources could create a big impact on DCPS.”
In other words, Rhee ran DCPS with more money than previous superintendents. This massive funding was
Levy writes: “Per student spending from all funding sources rose by $3,744 in the four years from 2007 to 2011, a total of 27%, compared to local inflation of 10%. A cause for concern is that much of the $80 million increase was funded by increases in special Congressional earmarks ($27 million) big foundation grants ($20 million) and federal entitlement grants ($6 million). Federal stimulus funding increased by $22 million. Cutbacks in any of these sources could create a big impact on DCPS.”
In other words, Rhee ran DCPS with more money than previous superintendents. This massive funding was