In comparing the White Plains 2006-2007 budget to school districts enrolling 6,500 to 7,500 students, White Plains  with 7,060 students is spending $165.8 Million compared to runnerup Syosset on Long Island with 6,779 students which spends $155.6 Million.

Distant thirds are Monroe-Woodbury (7,646, $126.5 Million), Freeport (6,635 at $128.5 M) and  Northport (6,521, $128M).  There are 14 districts ranging from Monroe-Woodbury (at 7,646 students) to  Northport-East Northport in the 6,500- 7,500 enrollment class.

In Westchester County, White Plains at $165.8 Million among the four independent cities (New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Peekskill, Yonkers) is third to the New Rochelle City School District which is second in spending. Yonkers at $412 Million (with 24,000 students) is first. New Ro budgeted  $196 Million in the 2006-2007 school year (New Ro serves 11,022 students, 4,000 more than White Plains). White Plains is next with $165.8 Million, and Mount Vernon was a grand behind White Plains at $164.801 Million but with an enrollment of 10,284. Peekskill is the poor city cousin spending $62.6 Million with its far smaller enrollment of 3,150 students.

 Number 1 Among County Big 5

In spending per student however, White Plains budget $165.8 Million outspends its four independent city rivals,  by expending $23, 490 per student. New Rochelle with the Number 3 budget in the state (at $196M) spends $17,787 per pupil. Mount Vernon spends $16,025 per student. Peekskill, $19,883. Port Chester is not a city, but is compared to White Plains in demographic makeup and spends $15,046 per student  while consistently outperforming White Plains in the ELA State Assessments. Peekskill Spends  $19,883 per student. Yonkers with the biggest budget – but not an independent district – spends $17,000 per student.

White Plains spends more per student than New Ro, Port Chester, Mount Vernon, and Peekskill and performs about even with New Ro on the ELA 8^th Grade Assessments, and about 10 percentage points behind Port Chester which passed 68% of its 8^th graders on the ELA while White Plains passed 53% in 2004-05.

 Keeping Up With the Swells

The White Plains City School District has maintained that they need to compete with other districts in Westchester County that are more attractive due to their suburban flavor and high reputation school districts. Analysis of White Plains per student costs, compared to Westchester’s posh districts show White Plains is definitely keeping pace with the “prestige districts” in what they spend per student.

Greenburgh Central School District with just 1,800 students is the per pupil spending leader among independent school districts in the county, according to the state at $28,322 per pupil on a $51 Million budget. A distant second is Briarcliff Manor at $25, 914 per pupil (with 1,800 enrollment), $46.7 Million budget.

White Plains City School District checks in at number 8 in school district spending per pupil  in the county at $23,490 for an 7,060 enrollment  with a  $165.8 Million budget.

 White Plains will approach  $25,000 a student in 2007-2008 with a $175 Million budget projected at this time).

The Per Student Spending Leaders in Westchester County in 2006-2007:

1. Greenburgh Central School District , $28,322, (1,800 enrollment)
2. Bedford, $25,914  (1,800 enrollment)
3. North Salem, $25,244 (1,385 enrollment)
4. Harrison, $25,113 (3,548 enrollment)
5.  Scarsdale, $24,647 (4,702 enrollment)
6. Katonah, $24,306 (4,100 enrollment)
7. Dobbs Ferry -- $24,168 (1,410 enrollment)
8. White Plains --$23,500 (7,060 enrollment)
9. Byram Hills -- $23,407 (2,835 enrollment)

Statewide, the White Plains City School District with 7,060 students will spend only $5 million less than the City of Albany ($169.9 Million)  spends to educate Albany’s 10,240 students and  White Plains will spend 3-1/2 million dollars more than the Great Neck School District  does to educate its 6,168 students.

Eighth in State in Taxes.

White Plains is 14^th in the state among independent districts in the size of its school budget and 8^th in state on the size of its property tax levy at $133 Million in 2006-2007. New Rochelle is first in the State Tax Levy Tax-stakes, collecting $155.1 Million.   Ahead of White Plains in collecting Property Tax Levies are

Number 1, New Ro, $155.1 M,

2. Half Hollow Hills, (Long Island), $155.1 M.

3. Great Neck, $153M;

4. Smithtown,L.I. $150.1M

5 Sachem, L.I., 148.8M.. 

6. Haverstraw-Stony Point North Rockland, $145.3M.

7. Syosset, L.I., $143.5 Million,

with the Orange and Black, White Plains at $132.3 Million, according the NYSED Property Tax Levy Report, 2006-2007.

The number 1 spending school district in the state is  Sachem, Long Island with 15,634 students at $266.7 Million; Brentwood, Long Island is second with 16,123 students and a $259.3 Million budget, and our friends at New Rochelle third in the state, spending $196 Million to educate 11,022 students in 2006-2007.

Ahead of White Plains in budgets  are

1. Sachem, $266.7M
2.  Brentwood, $259.3M
3.  New Rochelle, $196.1M
4. Smithtown, L.I., $189M,
5.  Haverstraw-Stony Point at $185.3M;
6.  Newburgh, $183.1M,
7.  Longwood, $181.2M;
8. Greece,  (Rochester) $180.3M;
9. Half Hollow Hills, L.I., $179.5M;
10. East Ramapo (Spring Valley, $178.8M;
11. Middle Country, $177.5M;
12.  William Floyd, L.I. $174.3M, and
13.  Albany at $169.9. 
14. White Plains, $165.8M

Among Schools of its enrollment class, White Plains has the highest school budget of  14 school districts enrolling 6,500 students to 7,500 students, nosing out Syosset, Long Island, by $10 Million, Freeport  and Northport by $37 Million and Connetquot by $27 Million.

The Spending per Districts averaging 6,500 to 7,500 Students.

1. White Plains, $165.8M – Enrollment, 7,060
2. Syosset, L.I.,  $155.6 M- Enrollment,  6,779
3. Connetquot, $140M – Enrollment, 7,091
4. Freeport, L.I.,  $128.5M – Enrollment, 6,775
5. Northport-East Northport, L.I., $128.1M –Enrollment 6,521
6.  Monroe-Woodbury, $126.5M – Enrollment, 7,646
7. Hempstead, L.I. $126.2M –Enrollment, 6,950
8. Lindenhurst, L.I., $119.5M –Enrollment 7,365
9. Middletown -- $109.4M – Enrollment, 7,100
10. Saratoga Springs -- $100.1M – Enrollment, 6,845
11. Elmira City – $99.9M – Enrollment, 7,252
12. Fairport -- $93.8M – Enrollment, 7,200
13. Binghamton -- $78.7M – Enrollment 6,635

Enrollment Growth Steady, yet Will it Stay Steady?

It is noteworthy that just six months ago during the Capital Project evaluations executed by the Capital Project Committee, White Plains projected that their enrollment was not expected to increase to 7,200 students until 2015. However this year they exceeded their projected enrollment by 200 persons.

In the summer, the White Plains demographer Bishop Inc. projected 2006-2007 enrollment as 6,791 (based on birth rate), yet as of October, the State Education Department reports the White District to be enrolling 7,060 students. The District may not be accounting for immigration into the district. In 1992, the School District educated 5,134 students, and has increased in size to 7,060 in 13 years.

Enrollment Increases 2,000 students, 38% .

Budget Increases 220% in 15 years.

 Based on the last audit of the White Plains City School District performed in 1993 by Edward Regan, the New York State Comptroller during the Cuomo Administration, the White Plains School Budget in 1992 was $76 Million.

 However the school budget has increased from $76 Million in 1992 to $165.8 Million in 2007, with a budget of $175 Million currently projected for 2007-2008. that is a 220% increase in spending with a 38% increase in the number of students served.  The inflation rate from February, 1992 to date was 43.07%. The White Plains budget has risen 5 times the rate of inflation over these 15 years.

In 1991-1992, the district had 5,134 students being taught by 409 teachers. As of 2004-2005, the district employed 937 instructional staff, including 588 teachers, 108 Professional Staff and 230 Paraprofessionals and 11 out of certification teachers or 937  to serve 1,926 more students than 1991-1992.

Teacher Count Up How Much Not Clear.

 1,400 Employees Today vs. 911 15 years ago.

It could not be determined from Mr. Regan’s report if the 409 teacher count included only the number of certified teachers, excluding  Professional Staff, Paraprofessionals, and Out of Certification teaching personal.

In 2006-2007, the White Plains district employees 588 Teachers, 108 Professional Staff, 230 Paraprofessionals and 11 Out of Certification personnel, a total of 937 teaching staff. If you take the 409 teachers of 1991-92 compared with the 588 certified teachers this year, the number of  teachers increased 44% while student population increased 38% in 15 years.  If the 91-92 figure included “ Professional Staff, Paraprofessionals, and Out of Certificationers…then the increase is much larger in teaching staff, 129%.

 In 1992, the Comptroller audit reports the City School District employing 911 persons, including 409 teachers. According to Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education, the district now employs 1,266 plus full-time employees, and approximately 140 hourly employees for total employment of 1,400. 

The 1,266 full-time employees represents an  increase of 39% more employees than 1992 vs. a 38% increase in the student population. Neither the School District Audit, nor Proposed Budget from 2006-2007 lists the exact number of employees in the district. The 1,400 total employees represents a 54% increase in employees since 1992. It could not be determined whether the 911 figure included part-time employees from Mr. Regan's report.

(In the recent Comptroller's Audit just released two weeks ago, the number of employees in the district is reported as 1,800 -- though when this article was written in February, 2007 -- WPCNR was told by the district the number of employees was 1,400.)

In looking at the City School District budget today in comparison with other school districts of its size, the district would appear to be very fortunate they have been able to spend at this level for so long.

At 220% growth rate, the budget will reach $830 Million by 2022.