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Audit Reveals Disparity Between Staffing Growth and Student Achievement in D.C. Schools
An audit conducted by the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor has highlighted a notable disparity within the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), indicating that staffing levels have surged at a rate significantly outpacing student enrollment. Despite this increase in staff, student achievement metrics still trail behind pre-pandemic standards.
The report demonstrates that over a span of five years, student enrollment rose by a modest 2.6%, while the number of staff members exploded by 19.5%. This translates to approximately 1,600 new positions funded within the district since Fiscal Year 2020 and suggests a hefty 43% rise in per-pupil spending.
In both D.C. and across the nation, students are grappling to recover from the academic setbacks incurred during the pandemic.
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According to DCPS press secretary Evan Lambert, the district aims to support all students in achieving their potential. “This report shows a staffing strategy focused on enhancing teacher support, contributing to enrollment increases and academic performance that distinguishes us from other urban districts,” he remarked, noting plans to collaborate with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to strengthen data systems for fiscal oversight. He acknowledged that following the conclusion of federal pandemic relief, local funding to schools has increased by reducing Central Services staffing.
A recent analysis from the Education Data Initiative underscores that the U.S. ranks as the third-highest spender on a per-student basis among OECD countries. The pandemic led to a substantial influx of federal funding into the public school system, yet much of this additional funding was reportedly allocated to staff salaries and bonuses rather than directly improving student outcomes.
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For instance, data from North Carolina’s Wake County Public School System revealed that 78% of its pandemic relief funds were dedicated to salaries and employee benefits. Similarly, Chicago’s public schools directed 77% of their pandemic funding toward staff compensation, according to an official report.
Nationally, research shows that public schools added approximately 121,000 new employees last year, despite serving around 110,000 fewer students. An analysis by the nonprofit education group The 74 found that the infusion of $190 billion in federal relief funds prompted schools to engage in extensive hiring over recent years. For example, prior to the pandemic, Los Angeles Unified was cutting down its teacher count to match its declining enrollment, but the influx of federal and state funds allowed the district to maintain staffing levels amidst further enrollment drops.
The 74’s investigation, which encompassed over 9,500 school districts representing nearly 92% of K-12 students nationwide, revealed that nearly 3,000 districts experienced increases in staff even as enrollment decreased. This trend underscores a wider pattern, where staffing levels grew more rapidly than student enrollment in many districts. Some districts did reduce staff counts, but not in proportion to their loss of students, while others saw an increase in student numbers but ramped up staffing even further.
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Recent political decisions have introduced further complexities into the education funding landscape. Former President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to shift greater control over school funding from the federal government to state governments. An executive order signed in March aims to effectively dismantle the U.S. Department of Education by transferring its educational authority to individual states, accompanied by a bill from GOP senators advocating for the department’s closure.
Despite the substantial increase in per-student spending of over 245% since the 1970s, Trump stated, “there has been virtually no measurable improvement in student achievement.” He emphasized the need for significant advancements in the educational system.
The ongoing challenges in the education sector underscore the necessity for strategic reforms and a reassessment of funding priorities to truly enhance student outcomes in the future.
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