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Web site provides Georgia's school spending data
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The Georgia Public Policy Foundation recently unveiled an interactive Web site that tracks, down to the penny, the more than $14 billion in spending throughout Georgia's 180 school systems and more than 2,000 schools.
Available at http://reportcard.gppf.org, the spending details data from the Georgia Department of Education and shows how money is allocated among each school system's central office and its individual schools.
Every dollar amount is categorized into one of 11 different functions, such as spending for instruction or administration, and more than 100 detailed spending areas such as supplies, books or salaries.
"For the first time ever, parents can find out exactly how much money their school is receiving from their school system and how much is being spent at the central office, information that will be helpful to school councils," said Kelly McCutchen, executive vice president of the Foundation.
The Georgia Public Policy Foundation initiated the Web site to achieve transparency for school spending.
"We believe transparency is good government," said McCutchen. "Everyone spends money more carefully if they know someone is looking over their shoulder. We know, based upon the experience in other states, that transparency will lead to cost savings as we identify duplication, waste and opportunities for efficiencies."
The foundation also believes savings in education spending ultimately leads to more money into the classroom, as well as taxpayers gaining property tax relief.
Sandra Fabry, executive director of the Center for Fiscal Accountability, a project of the Washington-based Americans for Tax Reform, described the Web site as "the most detailed single school spending transparency Web site we have seen."
The data exclude capital spending, such as buildings or buses. The data are available per student or total dollar amounts. All of the data can be easily downloaded for Georgians who want to conduct their own analysis. Interactive charts allow users to compare per-student spending to similar schools across the state.
Also available on the Web site is the Report Card for Parents, the academic achievement data and school rankings that the Foundation has published annually for over a decade.
"We believe every parent and taxpayer has a right to know how their money is being spent in our public schools, but during these difficult budget times it is even more critical," McCutchen said. "In most communities, the majority of local property taxes are spent on education and the majority of our state budget is spent on education. Georgia has increased per-student spending on education over the last 20 years by more than all but one state. Such transparency will help ensure we are spending every dollar wisely."
The Georgia Public Policy Foundation, a think tank formed in 1991, is a nonpartisan, member-supported research and education foundation that promotes free markets, limited government and individual responsibility.
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