Agenda - 03-30-1995 - II - Laserfiche WebLink

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�k inter 1991 School La%ti Bulletin Figure 4 Figure 5 State Aid, 1986-93, as a Percentage of Schools' Spending for Capital Needs, 1986-93,as a Percentage 1984 Reported Needs, by County of Schools' i 984 Reported 'Needs, by County 200 or more 3 300 or more 150-199 �l y 200-249 Z �f 100-149 13 L 150-199 13 2 Lz 80-99- 19 o y 100-149 23 t: A n 80-99 14 a" 50-79 39 " �a _ v•v 50-79 19 Q 30-39 117 30-49 ll Less than 30 5 Less than 30 6 Number of Counties Number of Counties in needs between 1984 and 1988 and the wide variation 3. How Much State Aid Did Counties Spend? in reported needs. Between 1984 and 1993, the 100 counties together 2. How Well Have Counties Met Reported spent a total of $3.0 billion on school capital needs, Needs? During the eight-year period from 1986 to twice the amount of earmarked state aid they received. . 1993, capital spending in 64 counties exceeded 80 per- However, only 68 counties spent as much on school cent of the needs they had reported in 1984. In those 64 capital needs as they received in state aid. counties spending exceeded needs in 50 counties; Of the 68 counties that spent at least as much as spending exceeded needs by 150 percent in 27 coun- the amount of state aid they received, 49 spent an ties; and was at least twice as much as needs in 14 of amount equal to more than 150 percent of the aid, 30 those counties. On the other hand, 17 counties spent an counties spent an amount at least double their state aid. amount equal to less than half of reported 1984 needs. and 8 counties spent an amount at least triple their state (See Figure 5.) aid. (See Figure 7, page 8.) Some counties failed to meet their needs because Of the 32 counties that failed to spend as much as during the period they did not spend all the state aid they received in state aid, 12 spent less than 75 percent they received. Consider, for example, those counties and 5 spent less than 50 percent. These 32 counties whose spending from 1986 to 1993 failed to equal at tended to be low-income counties with smaller enroll- least 80 percent of 1984 reported needs. Of those 36 ments—they include 24 of the 50 counties with below- counties, 29 spent an amount less than the state aid median per capita incomes, and 21 had enrollment they received. If those 29 counties had spent an amount below the median size. Of the 12 counties that spent an equal to the state aid they received, 25 would have met amount less than 75 percent of state aid, 11 had belox- at least 50 percent of their needs, 9 would have met at median incomes and 8 had below-median enrollment. least 80 percent of their needs, and 3 would have ex- There are several reasons that a county might ceeded their needs. spend less than it receives in state aid. First, by its na- During the five-year period from 1989 to 1993, in ture, construction involves lags in spending because 51 counties spending equaled 50 percent or more of the planning, contracting for, and constructing buildings ten-year needs reported in 1988. In 25 counties spend- takes time. Second, a county may put its earmarked ing exceeded 75 percent of 1988 reported needs, and in sales tax receipts into a capital reserve fund and spend 11 counties spending equaled or exceeded ten-year them only after enough money has accumulated for a needs reported in 1988. On the other hand, 22 counties needed project. Third, it may let funds accumulate in met less than 25 percent of their needs, and 6 counties the Public School Building Capital Fund. Fourth, a met less than 15 percent of their needs. (See Figure 6, county also may take advantage of state aid to pay off page 8.) existing indebtedness, subject to certain restrictions.