The cost of education.

[Straydog]

Contrary to talk radio entertainment, in the news is a different take on the cost of education.

News, not talk radio rant.

[happybrew]

Very eye opening.

happybrew

[pdxkevin]

rant by any other name is still a rant...

I wish we knew who's the author of the article and her/his background. I would be interested in reading more from them to acertain that persons leanings.

As the next vote comes around, I will bet we will start seeing more and more similar articles being publiced with the intent to sway voters to keep the tax hike. The closer the vote the more intense the article. This is not a single sided battle. All sides will do a full court press up to the voting.

[Lured In]

From the above link...

"Portland talk show radio host Lars Larson and others use to calculate the $10,000 figure and found errors. For example, the calculations more than double the amount schools spend on capital construction, he said.

He likened it to someone buying a home for $200,000, making payments and interest and then claiming the total cost of the home was $400,000 or more." [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

THAT IS THE TOTAL COST OF OWNING A HOME!!!!!
[img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

If the school district is not taking into account interest and fees, they are using smoke and mirrors to hide the REAL cost of construction. If they are not being charged interest and or fees for construction loans, etc, then they have a valid point. But they do not state anything to support that.

[Straydog]

As I understood it, the error arises in claiming interest and associated costs double the cost of buying or building.

The interest and associated costs of my house do not double the cost of my home.

Further, since capital improvment monies can only be used for capital improvement, it is budgeted seperatly from the general fund dollars. In other words, we can not borrow from our captial expense bond a account to pay for teachers. A capital expense bonded inebtedness will retire itself in time, the ongoing expenses of operating a school will not.

[lost_sailor]

Don't you be talking about POLITICS now. [img]graemlins/icon_argue.gif[/img]

[Straydog]

Figures.............. a danged stray dog should be expected to be one of the first to track mud into the house!





It is not my fault, I was "Lured in"!!!!!!!! :grin:

[ 12-22-2003, 09:53 AM: Message edited by: Straydog ]

[Lured In]

What did I do...? Someone posts a link and I respond? If anyone is luring people in, it ain't me. [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

[skrimmy]

Straydog - Great picture!

[skahorse]

Interestingly enough, I came across this study several weeks ago by the National Center for Education Statistics which claims Oregon only spent $7,528 per student. That was the 2000-2001 school year though. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that that figure has increased by $700 in one year to $8,247 that stray's article states.

No matter what the exact amount, Oregon is still above the average per state. And outspends all of it's neighboring states by at least $600 (according to NCES study linked above) and outspends some by almost $3,000 :shocked: . What I find appalling is that we are 3rd highest per student cost-state this side of the Mississippi Rv. And they want more? Fix the system please.

P.S. This post is not meant to inflame, or incite. Its just an interesting look at the facts that the mail tribune article left out.

--Skahorse

[Hogback]

The article states that Lars miss figured capital construction costs, and the graph from skahorse's post state that those costs are not included in the 7,528 spent. The writer of the article in the paper further writes about the confusing way items are paid for in the school budget. I don't know about the rest of the taxpayers in this state, but this reminds me of the old saying " figures don't lie, but liars figure". It seems to me that when things become to complicated to understand, its because someone does not want you to understand it.
Randy