FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Larry Carpman x331
Libby Main x358
617-443-9933

School Finance Experts Testify That Mass. Must
Spend More Per Student to Satisfy Court
Two Separate Models Reveal Not Enough Resources for Students and Schools

BOSTON—June 26, 2003—Nationally-recognized experts who testified earlier this week and are scheduled to continue testifying on Friday as part of the plaintiff's case in the Hancock v. Driscoll public schools trial have estimated that the state's per pupil foundation level of support is several thousand dollars short of the amount of money needed to provide an adequate education to students, an education that meets the state's constitutional standard.

John Myers, who has evaluated school finance systems in more than 30 states, conducted a “successful school districts” study which analyzed the amount of money spent by 75 Massachusetts school districts with a high or very high rating on MCAS test results for both math and English. Myers averaged the per-pupil base cost in those districts and added in factors for special needs students, and at risk students. In his testimony on Tuesday, June 24, Myers demonstrated that the base per-pupil cost to teach English and math only for a non-special needs student is $6,985. Myers also stated that using an average of the 75 top performing school districts allowed for a more statistically representative sample and diminished the risk of outliers and district-specific variables.

Dr. Deborah Verstegen of the University of Virginia conducted a two-year “professional judgment” adequacy study, which included numerous focus groups of educators and administrators from all parts of the Commonwealth, representing varying roles and types of school districts. To complete the study, the expert panelists specified the resources and services needs for elementary, middle and high schools to teach all of the subject areas that are a part of the State' s curriculum frameworks—including technology needs, classroom staffing, subject-specific teaching aids and special needs programs. After the resources were identified, Verstegen priced them out and included central administrative costs. More than 120 Massachusetts principals, teacher, administrators, and curriculum experts participated in the panels. Vestegen's per pupil cost for the prototype small school district was $13,517, the medium prototype district was $13,310, and large prototype district was $14,600. She also made specific calculations for the four key Hancock case plaintiff districts.

“Without the strides made by Education Reform we would not be able to evaluate student and school district progress and those measures were very helpful for this school finance research. However, we feel that it was important that these finance studies were presented at the trial because they show that now that the curriculum frameworks are in place, the foundation level of support should be re-examined,” said Norma Shapiro, President of the Council for Fair School Finance.

“Dr. Verstegen's resource-focused approach thoroughly examined the needs of individual schools by interviewing teachers and administrators from Massachusetts who are familiar with the curriculum and student needs and John Myers focused on the spending in successful districts. The resounding response to their research findings is that more resources of many kinds are needed,” Shapiro continued.

Dr. Robert Berne of New York University is expected to testify on Friday, June 27 to summarize the information presented by Verstegen and Myers and to provide a context within current Massachusetts spending. Court will be held at the John McCormick Courthouse in Boston on Floor 12 in Courtroom 20. Both financial studies are available via email or fax. Please email the Council for Fair School Finance at goodschoolsformass@hotmail.com or contact Libby Main at 617-443-9933 x358. Further background information on the trial is also posted at the Council's website, www.goodschoolsformass.org

Estimated Per Pupil Cost:

Deborah Verstegen (Professional Judgment Approach)*
Winchendon $13,967
Lowell $13,243
Brockton $12,423
Springfield $13,937
* Debt, facilities, transportation and preschool not included. Adjusted figures for plaintiff districts.

John Myers (Successful School Districts Approach)**
Winchendon $9,108
Lowell $10,200
Brockton $9,294
Springfield $10,833
**English language arts and math subject areas included only. Capital, transportation and food service spending also not included.

Actual FY2003 Foundation Level Budget Per Pupil In Key Districts***
Winchendon $6,013
Lowell $8,676
Brockton $8,293
Springfield $8,259
***Taken from Plaintiff's Exhibit #36, which is computed from Mass. Department of Education reports.

The Council for Fair School Finance was founded in 1975 in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that declared equitable school finance to be a matter for state courts to decide under state constitutions. Since then, the Council has supported plaintiffs seeking adequate funding for public schools before the courts, including the Hancock v. Commissioner of Education Driscoll trial, which began June 12, 2003 in Massachusetts Superior Court. Its members include the American Civil Liberties Union of Mass., Citizens for Public Schools, the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, the Mass. Association of School Committees, the Mass. Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers, the Mass. Parent-Teacher-Student Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and Strategies for Children.
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