District 36: Cost Per Student Up Due to Debt, Decrease in Attendance
Winnetka Public Schools District 36’s cost per student increased the most out of the six public schools that feed into New Trier Township High School District 203.
Winnetka school officials say the sharp increase in cost per student in Winnetka Public Schools District 36 when compared with nearby school districts could be due to debt and decrease in student attendance. Since 2006, the cost per student has increased 45 percent, from $13,165 per student to $19,027 in 2011, according to figures provided by the district. Among the six public school districts that feed into New Trier High School Township District 203, Winnetka’s cost per student increased the most, according to a Chicago Sun-Times’ analysis. "It really is a completely different array of numbers in every district, depending on what funds they use, how much debt they have, whether they're using a fixed asset account or not," said …
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Suzy
3:38 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
The debt is the result of operating (2003) and capital expenditure (2007) referenda. As such, it was generated to support a higher level of spending on operations and building projects. The cost per student is what it is because that is what has been spent to operate the district--a figure that is easily, and not so favorably, compared to the bottom line of other districts. Whether the amount is … more ›