Guest Columnist

John Butcher

 

 

Educational Bang for the Buck

(Virginia localities, 2001)

 

 

The author in the situation to which he aspires

This chart ranks Virginia localities according to expenditures per pupil. The "Bucks" column shows the extent to which localities spent less than or more than the state average in fiscal 2001. The "Bang" column shows the extent to which average SOL scores for a locality exceeded (positive numbers) or fell short of (negative numbers) the statewide average.

 

Ideally, a school system would spend less but generate better results than state averages. These localities are coded green.

 
DIVISION $/ADM

02 SOL

 Bucks Bang
Warren 5,900 69.2 -1,661 -4.6
Hanover 6,106 79.6 -1,455 5.8
Poquoson 6,111 90.9 -1,450 17.1
Bedford 6,152 75.1 -1,409 1.3
New Kent 6,325 78.4 -1,236 4.6
Page 6,342 75.5 -1,219 1.7
Pittsylvania 6,353 72.7 -1,208 -1.1
Smyth 6,404 73.1 -1,157 -0.6
Russell 6,432 78.8 -1,129 5.0
Chesterfield 6,445 84.3 -1,116 10.5
Henrico 6,478 86.2 -1,083 12.4
Augusta 6,505 79.4 -1,056 5.7
Wythe 6,510 64.3 -1,051 -9.5
Caroline 6,514 64.3 -1,047 -9.5
Prince George 6,569 83.0 -992 9.2
Galax 6,569 80.5 -992 6.7
Westmoreland 6,570 62.9 -991 -10.9
Tazewell 6,601 73.7 -960 0.0
Richmond (county) 6,608 80.6 -953 6.9
Mecklenburg 6,609 68.6 -952 -5.2
Gloucester 6,653 79.5 -908 5.7
Appomattox 6,669 69.5 -892 -4.3
Floyd 6,671 79.6 -890 5.9
Washington 6,732 79.6 -829 5.8
Rockingham 6,739 83.4 -822 9.6
Fluvanna 6,740 74.4 -821 0.6
Stafford 6,742 83.1 -819 9.3
Orange 6,742 72.7 -819 -1.1
Franklin 6,744 81.2 -817 7.4
Culpeper 6,760 72.9 -801 -0.9
Scott 6,764 82.3 -797 8.5
Amelia 6,766 67.0 -795 -6.8
Shenandoah 6,772 77.2 -789 3.4
Petersburg 6,829 40.1 -732 -33.6
Virginia Beach 6,849 82.6 -712 8.9
Spotsylvania 6,850 74.6 -711 0.8
Hampton 6,890 76.3 -671 2.5
King and Queen 6,893 71.5 -668 -2.3
Suffolk 6,902 64.4 -659 -9.4
Nottoway 6,906 68.5 -655 -5.3
Henry 6,909 72.7 -652 -1.1
Amherst 6,910 67.9 -651 -5.9
York 6,925 85.5 -636 11.7
Frederick 6,964 80.8 -597 7.0
Charlotte 6,973 83.6 -588 9.8
Lancaster 6,977 72.3 -584 -1.5
Newport News 6,989 70.6 -572 -3.2
Greensville 7,031 61.8 -530 -12.0
Chesapeake 7,032 78.5 -529 4.7
Halifax 7,042 78.8 -519 5.1
Wise  7,061 77.8 -500 4.0
Bland 7,090 67.8 -471 -6.0
Danville 7,090 63.7 -471 -10.1
Pulaski 7,097 75.3 -464 1.5
Salem 7,103 88.9 -458 15.1
Giles 7,118 74.6 -443 0.8
Southampton 7,118 62.8 -443 -11.0
Essex 7,120 64.8 -441 -9.0
Louisa 7,133 70.4 -428 -3.4
Botetourt 7,136 81.7 -425 7.9
Roanoke (county) 7,151 84.2 -410 10.4
Craig 7,165 78.5 -396 4.8
Prince Edward 7,189 64.4 -372 -9.4
Cumberland 7,214 60.2 -347 -13.6
Radford 7,227 81.4 -334 7.6
Isle of Wight 7,237 73.5 -324 -0.3
Greene 7,245 70.5 -316 -3.3
Prince William 7,246 77.5 -315 3.7
Montgomery 7,256 69.9 -305 -3.9
Hopewell 7,268 72.9 -293 -0.9
Middlesex 7,270 80.2 -291 6.4
Campbell 7,273 72.4 -288 -1.4
Rockbridge 7,282 77.0 -279 3.2
Patrick 7,282 76.8 -279 3.0
Madison 7,288 77.8 -273 4.1
Grayson 7,326 68.0 -235 -5.7
Buckingham 7,339 67.3 -222 -6.5
Portsmouth 7,345 59.8 -216 -14.0
Clarke 7,347 83.5 -214 9.7
Dinwiddie 7,352 72.9 -209 -0.9
Waynesboro 7,365 70.8 -196 -3.0
Northumberland 7,371 72.2 -190 -1.5
Northampton 7,371 70.1 -190 -3.7
Lynchburg 7,374 72.9 -187 -0.9
Lee 7,408 64.8 -153 -8.9
Dickenson 7,428 74.3 -133 0.5
Nelson 7,465 69.5 -96 -4.3
King William 7,479 74.6 -82 0.8
Manassas Park 7,498 77.2 -63 3.5
Bristol 7,503 75.5 -58 1.8
Alleghany 7,505 74.9 -56 1.1
Norfolk 7,561 70.4 0 -3.4
Lunenburg 7,568 68.4 7 -5.4
Norton 7,660 73.0 99 -0.8
Carroll 7,663 73.7 102 -0.1
Manassas 7,679 76.3 118 2.5
Fauquier 7,708 77.5 147 3.8
Rappahannock 7,713 76.8 152 3.0
Powhatan 7,815 82.0 254 8.2
Staunton 7,870 71.6 309 -2.2
Martinsville 7,919 63.5 358 -10.3
Goochland 7,935 82.9 374 9.1
Roanoke  (city) 8,008 68.9 447 -4.9
Franklin (city) 8,036 56.3 475 -17.5
Albemarle 8,127 81.6 566 7.9
Harrisonburg 8,135 80.2 574 6.5
Williamsburg-James  City 8,256 79.8 695 6.1
Colonial Heights 8,268 86.8 707 13.0
Loudoun 8,460 85.4 899 11.6
Brunswick 8,486 51.4 925 -22.4
Highland 8,573 81.6 1,012 7.9
King George 8,661 74.2 1,100 0.4
Winchester 8,774 79.0 1,213 5.2
Covington 8,883 63.1 1,322 -10.7
Fredericksburg 9,060 71.6 1,499 -2.2
Richmond (city) 9,236 56.2 1,675 -17.6
Lexington 9,397 88.3 1,836 14.5
Sussex 9,502 58.3 1,941 -15.5
Fairfax 9,633 84.2 2,072 10.4
Buchanan 9,769 59.6 2,208 -14.2
Charles City 9,846 57.2 2,285 -16.6
Bath 9,896 77.2 2,335 3.4
Mathews 10,763 76.9 3,202 3.1
Charlottesville 10,833 58.9 3,272 -14.8
Surry 10,888 66.8 3,327 -7.0
Falls Church 12,022 85.6 4,461 11.8
Alexandria 12,263 69.9 4,702 -3.9
Arlington 12,266 79.2 4,705 5.4
Buena Vista 12,583 76.7 5,022 2.9
Mean 7,561 73.8
Standard deviation 1,282 8.4

"ADM" means "Average Daily Membership," which is educratese for average attendance.

 

"Bucks" shows the spending per student (or ADM) above or below the mean spending for the 129 school divisions.

 

"Bang" shows the difference between the locality's average SOL scores and the average for the 129 school divisions.

 

Source: These numbers have been extracted from the Virginia Department of Education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Color Code

    Low cost, high performance
    Low cost, low performance
    High cost, high performance
    High cost, low performance
     
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