Funding Levels for Berryessa and Other Districts

Two weeks ago, Ed-Data posted updated financial information for the 2008-2009 school year. This data illuminates the huge disparity in funding suffered by the Berryessa Union School District and a few others versus the wealthiest districts. Our district has a general fund that is 12% below the statewide average of funding for elementary school districts. Statewide, the average per-pupil funding level is $9059. School districts such as Los Altos and Saratoga received $10,500 per student or more. A couple of elementary districts have significantly more than that.

Berryessa Union School District had $7996 per pupil in 2008-2009. It is one of four elementary districts in Santa Clara County below $8000 (the other three are Evergreen, Cupertino, and Union). Our revenue limit contribution from the state of California was a paltry $5451 per student. Remember that these numbers are for last school year. Funding is lower in 2009-2010 and will be even lower in 2010-2011. We did get a boost this year from Measure W, which added about $210 per student this year. Also helpful was federal stimulus money added about $500 per student for one year only.

I often make the comparison between Berryessa and Palo Alto in terms of per pupil funding and state that we receive about 1/2 of what they do to educate students. The data show that our funding was 56% of theirs in 08-09. As a unified school district with high schools, Palo Alto should receive slightly more money, but the statewide average for unified districts is $9476, which is just 5% more than elementary districts.

You can check out the data yourself at www.ed-data.org. Click on "District" under Reports to look at district by district numbers.

One conclusion to draw from the numbers is how well we are doing in Berryessa considering our funding disadvantage. Both academically and fiscally, our district is performing tremendously with the resources that we have. Thanks to all our employees, including teachers, classified staff, and administrators, for their incredible work. And thanks to the parents in our district, who help our schools and our students succeed.