Monday, July 27, 2020

JPS Continues to Shrink

The JPS budget nearly the same as it was ten years ago even though student enrollment fell 20%.  While JPS shrinks, Desoto County Public Schools mushroom in growth while Rankin County gains ground. 

School Rating
JPS: D
Desoto: A
Rankin: A


Student Population
Jackson: 23,780
Desoto: 34,461
Rankin: 19,051

JPS's enrollment shrank 20% over the last decade while  property tax revenue increased 7.5% and budgets shrank 2.5%.  However, the budget snapshot is somewhat misleading as the budget went on a roller-coaster ride over the last ten years as shown in the chart posted below.  The spikes correspond with property tax increases. JPS also caught a break last year as its PERS obligation declined $11 million.  However, instructional and support spending managed to increase while the overall budget shrank. 



Desoto and JPS were roughly the same size ten years ago.  However, Jackson's student population began a period of  major decline in 2011 while Desoto continued to grow.  Desoto is now the largest school district in Mississippi by a wide margin.

JPS's enrollment increased last year but that was due to better reporting.  The Mississippi Department of Education cited shoddy data collecting as one of the reasons it place JPS on probation several years ago. JPS's reporting of student population was so bad that it apparently under-counted students.  JPS is 10,681 fewer students than Desoto although it remains larger than Rankin. 







JJ once made a great deal of noise over JPS spending more money than Desoto despite having fewer students than its North Mississippi counterpart. 2012 post.   Such is no longer the case as MAEP rewards Desoto for its growth.   The two districts are almost even in property tax revenue but Desoto receives $45 million more in MAEP funding.  Rankin receives only $85 million.

Desoto finally passed JPS in property tax revenue.  JPD experienced a nice spike in revenue three years ago thanks to a property tax increase.  However, JPS's property tax revenue is falling again.    

Don't be fooled by the gross revenue.  One common defense made of of failing minority school districts such as JPS is that the districts are poor and suffer from less funding than the supposedly rich suburbs. JPS receivers the second-highest amount of property tax revenue among all Mississippi public school districts.  However, JPS almost receives the most property tax revenue per student.  It only missed the top spot by $10 per student. 

JPS receives $3,891 in property taxes per student while Desoto receives only $2,751 per student - a difference of more than $1,000 per student.  However, Rankin receives $3,901 per student despite collecting approximately $20 million less per year than JPS or Desoto. 

Total Revenue
JPS: $268 million
Desoto: $304 million
Rankin: $196 million

Property Tax Revenue
JPS: $92.5 million
Desoto: $95.1 million
Rankin:  $74.3 million







Property Tax Revenue per Student
JPS: $3,891
Desoto: $2,759
Rankin: $3,902



The JPS budget dwarfed Desoto's budget ten years ago despite having fewer students.  Such is no longer the case as the Desoto budget caught up with the growth of it's enrollment.  The JPS budget was $271 million last year. 

Annual  Expenses
JPS: $271 million
Desoto: $297 million
Rankin: $197 million

Total Salaries & Fringe Benefits
JPS: $195.6 million
Desoto: $213.4 million
Rankin: $136.2 million


Total Spending per Student  (Annual Audit & MDE reports used)
JPS: $11,470 (Audit)
Desoto: $8,802 (Audit)
Rankin: $13,172 (Audit)

JPS: $9,421 (MDE)
Desoto: $7,329 (MDE)
Rankin: $8,675 (MDE)

Instructional Spending per Student
JPS: $6,602
Desoto: $5,417
Rankin: $6,609




10 comments:

Anonymous said...

it's not so much the cost as it is the product-

Anonymous said...

Just wait til all that covid money hits JPS. That's the precise reason they've decided to have scholar-distance-conskructin' this next semester.

Anonymous said...

I know buzz words change every hour.

And no . . . I'm not "woke".

(Still laughing at this new word)

Anyway, when did all the bow tie wearing little
"District Superintendents" start referring to the everyday kids as "scholars".

George Orwell would have never even imagined such.

I'm all for public education, but stats prove very few of these kids will every be a "scholar".

Let's teach the lil' kids the basics.
(Reading, writing and basic math).

Not everyone should go to a College/University, but that's a different topic.

Or "dialogue" as some say.





Anonymous said...

Public schools are socialism. Shut them down and quit finding socialism with taxes.

Anonymous said...

How many school buildings are in each of those 3 districts? How many old buildings with years of neglect are in each district?

Often the devil is in the details.

Anonymous said...

So how is that recent "maintenance" bond money spending coming along? New office decorations? New staff luxury cars? Conventions? Big raises for the top?

Anonymous said...

Propagandists in the classroom are a luxury that the poor can afford least of all. While a mastery of mathematics and English can be a ticket out of poverty, a highly cultivated sense of grievance and resentment is not.

Anonymous said...

9:09 Well said.

Anonymous said...

@9:09
I had no idea that Thomas Sowell read Jackson Jambalaya.
The Rubin Report - Thomas Sowell, Ph.D on the American Classroom"

For those of you that don't know. Thomas Sowell is probably the most intelligent author, economist, and social commentator in America who just happens to also be Black. So the MSM ignores him.

Quote Check said...

11:18 - You're the one on here always quoting Andy Rooney, right? Wait! It's Chuck Norris...My bad.


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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