Employment Outpaces Enrollment Gains In Kansas Public Schools
One employee for every 6.7 students statewide |
July 27, 2011 - Wichita, KS - Despite a small (2.4%) decline last year, school district employment has still grown much faster than enrollment over recent years. Enrollment increased 3.1% between 2005 and 2011, according to the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE). At the same time, school districts increased teacher employment by 4.6% and non-teacher jobs jumped 8.6%. Statewide, there are now 13.3 students per teacher; counting all employees, the average school district has one employee for every 6.7 students. Results for individual districts vary dramatically and are now available in a newly posted database at www.kansasopengov.org. Kansas Policy Institute maintains the site and uses data obtained from the Kansas Department of Education.
"While parents are understandably concerned that budget decisions might lead to much larger class sizes, they may be pleased to know that most districts still have smaller student-teacher ratios than a few years ago. Most districts also have the ability to retain teachers by using new legislative authority to tap prior year carryover surplus funds," said KPI president Dave Trabert.
The student-teacher ratio is as high as 38.6:1 (USD 424 Mullinville in Kiowa County) and as low as 4.9:1 (USD 390 Hamilton in Greenwood County). In terms of total employees, USD 424 Mullinville has the most students per employee at 14.7 and USD 490 El Dorado in Butler County has the least, with just 2.3 students for each employee. A number of factors can influence these ratios; Mullinville, for example, has a high percentage of online students whereas some districts like El Dorado operate a Special Education Co-Op for multiple districts.
In some districts, like USD 259 Wichita, employment grew much more rapidly than enrollment (13.6% vs. 2.7%) while others had just the opposite experience; USD 500 Kansas City saw employment decline 3.0% while enrollment declined 1.7%.
Employment ratios and job counts are fulltime equivalents ( FTE) for both students and employees as reported by KSDE. A decline in the ratios shown below indicates that employment has grown more rapidly than enrollment.
Trabert concluded, "Good decisions can only be made with complete, accurate information and this new section on KansasOpenGov.org is one more way that KPI provides teachers, school district officials, legislators and individual Kansans with easy access to valuable data." |
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Kansas Policy Institute is an independent think-tank that advocates for free market solutions and the protection of personal freedom for all Kansans. Our work centers on state and local economic policy with primary emphasis on education, fiscal policy and health care. We empower citizens, legislators and other government officials with objective research and creative ideas to promote a low-tax, pro-growth environment that preserves the ability of governments to provide high quality services. To speak with Kansas Policy Institute, please contact James Franko at (316) 634-0218.
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