Weston Public Schools – Are We Getting What We’re Paying For?

Weston Town Crier, February 4, 2021
The following was submitted by Frank Caine

Just about one year ago, I submitted a letter to the Town Crier in which I summarized my reactions to the presentation by the Weston School Committee regarding its proposed FY2021 Budget. I said in the opening paragraph of that letter that I am not an educator, but I have the highest regard for those who are. And that is still true. And I care about Weston students getting the best possible preparation for college and for life.

But I would like to frame, once again, the issues that I believe exist in the school portion of the Town budget because we are beginning to enter the FY2022 budget season and the issues haven’t really changed very much. Even though none of this is new, it is still important, and as residents and parents we do have another opportunity to ask ourselves, “Are we getting what we’re paying for?”

The Weston Public School Budget represents the largest portion of the Town Budget, 61% this year. Over the past six years, school expenditures have risen 19%, while enrollment has declined 15%. That means that our Per-Pupil Expenditures have risen approximately 34%.

Using comparative data for six other similar school districts, we know that Weston’s Per-Pupil Expenditures, even pre-COVID, are: 1) approximately 27% higher than the average of those other school districts, 2) rising faster than in those other school districts, and 3) rising faster than inflation. These comparable, affluent school districts are Wellesley, Wayland, Lexington, Concord-Carlisle, Dover-Sherborn, and Lincoln-Sudbury.

The difference in Per-Pupil Expenditures versus the six comparable school districts amounts to $11 million, per year. That means Weston is spending $11 million more, per year, than if we were average among these comparable districts. That premium represents approximately 20% of the total Weston spending on its public schools, and about 15% of your property tax bill.

One might think of that additional 27%, or $11 million extra cost, as our collective premium “investment” in education. I think it’s important to understand the nature of the investment we’re making, and equally important to look at what that investment produces. Weston Public Schools, relative to the six comparable school districts, spends more per pupil largely because 1) our school system has more teachers per pupil (though this does not translate into more teaching time), 2) pays them higher salaries on average, and 3) provides much richer healthcare and retirement benefits.

Those are not my data; they are from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). With respect to each of those cost metrics, Weston is the highest in the peer group.

But that’s only half the story. It is equally important to look at what that investment produces. If we were investing more than other towns and getting more than other towns, that would be fine (and would probably be reflected in Weston property values). But that doesn’t seem to be the case. One important view of the results also comes from DESE, FY2019 data.

As measured by Advanced Placement testing, MCAS testing and SAT testing, Weston’s results are… average. And a handful are lower than average. On balance, our higher-than-average Per-Pupil Expenditures are having a lower-than-average impact.

One other observation is that Weston has the lowest percentage of resident students whose parents elect to send them to Weston schools. Evidently, this is not new. In a 2016 study, entitled “Why Not Weston?”, the top reasons cited by families whose children once attended Weston public school but who switched to private schools, related to their perceptions of Weston’s academic programs, quality and rigor.

If that’s where we find ourselves, what do we know about where we’re headed? The proposed FY2022 School Budget was recently presented. Before commenting on that proposal, it is worth highlighting a few key drivers: 1) demographics and birth rates in Weston are highly unlikely to increase school enrollment over the next five years, and perhaps longer, 2) the percentage of Weston school aged children enrolled in private schools rather than Weston public schools has been increasing, from 16% twenty years ago to now 26%; Weston students who select private or out-of-town public and parochial options are not likely to reverse their decisions, and 3) additional Affordable Housing may boost enrollment, but not likely enough to reverse these enrollment trends, let alone result in “average” Per-Pupil Expenditures. And even if it did, rising enrollment alone would not lead to “above-average” results.

The FY2022 School Budget proposed to the Weston School Committee reflects school expenditures up $1.8 million, or 3%, excluding any COVID-related expenditures. This year, the increased spending necessary to deal with the pandemic was largely covered by public and private grants. Over a two-year period, the school budget is up $2.7 million or 6% versus the pre-pandemic FY2020 level.

Student enrollment is expected to continue to decline in FY2022 by 8% versus the pre-pandemic FY2020 level. Due to COVID, about 100 Weston School children have chosen to attend private or other schools. It is unknown how many of those will return to the Weston public school system once we get past COVID, but even if all of them return, that by itself won’t “improve” the enrollment outlook relative to pre-pandemic trends.

Therefore, Per-Pupil Expenditures will continue to increase in FY2022 to over $30,000, or approximately 14% versus the pre-pandemic FY2020 level. As we approach budget reviews by the Select Board and School Committee, finalize the FY2022 School Budget and vote on its adoption, it’s the right time to ask ourselves:

“Are we getting what we’re paying for?”