What is per student cost in Hoboken so high and why are the results so poor?
May 12, 2013 | 5486 views | 5 5 comments | 31 31 recommendations | email to a friend | print

Dear Editor:

When I sent in my letter to the editor a couple of weeks ago, I asked why per student cost was so high-over $30,000 per student. That was before I learned that Hoboken was second only to one other school district in New Jersey in cost per student, and that Hoboken ranks in the bottom 25 percent of New Jersey schools.

It is probably time to examine the governance structure and the quality of management when expenditures are so high and achievement is so low. Certainly, the people of Hoboken deserve better.

Michael Fischetti

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teddyjo
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May 14, 2013
Here are a few:

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/rcreport.php?c=01;d=0125;s=060

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/rcreport.php?c=17;d=2295;s=030

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/rcreport.php?c=17;d=2295;s=050

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/rcreport.php?c=29;d=2760;s=050

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/rcreport.php?c=09;d=5060;s=050

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/rcreport.php?c=29;d=2760;s=050

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/rcreport.php?c=01;d=0110;s=100

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/rcreport.php?c=01;d=0110;s=140

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/rcreport.php?c=01;d=4180;s=060
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teddyjo
|
May 14, 2013
Not sure where you get your information. There are about 50 districts that outspend Hoboken. Your "2nd highest" data might have been true in 2008 but not now.
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mafish
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June 09, 2013
Districts like Newark and Jersey City spend much more than Hoboken, but when compare total cost per student, Hoboken beats every District except Asbury Park. Hoboken spends over $ 30,000 per year per student. That figure is based on dividing 2100 students into a $ 64.7 million budget. That information is directly from the Hoboken BOE web site.
Tottenhamwins
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May 12, 2013
Our pupil costs are high but I believe based on your original letter, your math is way off. You calculate the per pupil cost based on the BOE budget which includes funding for pre-school and charter schools but your pupil count doesn't include all those kids. You also should keep in mind the district spends well over $6mm on special ed students and I'd be curious to see how many districts spend on average over $3K per pupil on that line item. You should also ask yourself how much higher the costs would be if the people who ran the district 5 or so years ago were still in power. Many of the people they put on the payroll who never went near a classroom are no longer on the payroll. Go also look at the budgets and more detailed information. Go track down that audit from 2008 I believe. It was quite informative. There is a ton of information out there worth looking at and I encourage you to look at it all.
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mafish
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May 26, 2013
I thought the math was fairly simple. The BOE says it spends about 64 million, and it says it has 2100 students. That equals about 31 thousand plus: