Students outnumber full time equivalents in the Public School System 12 to 1, according to PSS’ 13-year local budget history report, noting only a total of 793 local FTEs in the current fiscal year.<\/p>\n
FTEs, who constitute the total number of people PSS has on board, is less today than it was nine years ago when it reached 811 despite a remarkably lower student population.<\/p>\n
PSS is now 147 people short from its ideal 1,030 FTEs. The prevailing figure is barely enough to efficiently serve some 9,498 students in its total student enrollment.<\/p>\n
In the years following 1991, FTEs in PSS rose and fell largely due to lack of funding.<\/p>\n
“We are authorized by law to hire the 1,030 people but then are only given a certain amount for a certain number of people. So this is all we can afford,” said acting Fiscal Budget Officer William Matson.<\/p>\n
In 1993, PSS’ FTEs was highest at 995 with a total student population of 7,731.<\/p>\n
By far, FY 2000 is the year with FTEs at its lowest since 1991, a year after PSS became an autonomous agency.<\/p>\n
In the next fiscal year, it is projected that local FTEs will soar to a total of 1,180.
\nThis, if the government grants PSS a 10 percent budget increase from its current 15 percent allotment in the local appropriation.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, federally sourced FTEs also are all the more outnumbered by public school students an average of 200 to 1 in all fiscal years for 13 years.
\nFurthermore, education cost per student as it was seven years ago is only several dollars lower than the current rate it is at today.<\/p>\n
PSS, which serves close to 10,000 students in the current school year, has pegged each student cost at $3,969.<\/p>\n
In 1993 when student enrollment only totaled 7,731, education cost per child amounted to $3,776.<\/p>\n
The $193 difference amid the rapid growth of student demands has not done much to direct remarkable changes in the school system, records show.<\/p>\n
“We all know it costs more money to send a child to school these days,” said Mr. Matson.
\nIn School Year 1996-97, PSS spent some $4,629 for each student with over 9,954 students to subsidize.<\/p>\n
The following SY, PSS student enrollment recorded some 9, 246 where average cost per child lowered to $4,500.<\/p>\n
With a total student enrollment of 9,496 during SY 1998-99, average spending per student further dipped to some $3,997. (MM)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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