Price to educate students drops for most Warren County schools Friday, February 15, 2008 • By Lynn Olanoff • The Express-Times In a state of many bemoaned taxes, none are more reviled than school taxes. But according to figures released Thursday from the state education department, it's getting less costly in many Warren County school districts to educate students. Compared to the 2005-06 school year, 14 of the county's 24 school districts reduced their per-pupil costs in 2006-07 -- 11 significantly, according to the state figures. Warren County Technical School had the biggest drop, cutting per-pupil costs from $30,280 to $16,793. Chief School Administrator Robert Glowacky credited the school's growing enrollment and the school board's efforts to maintain relatively flat spending. Despite growing from 386 students in 2005-06 to 416 students in 2006-07, the school's $8 million budget stayed about the same, he said. "Per-pupil cost, that is definitely impacted by increasing enrollment," Glowacky said. "That will drop even more significantly next year because we're increasing our enrollment more." The school is anticipating a record 475 students next year. Like Warren Tech, most of the local schools that reduced per pupil costs are small, such as Allamuchy, Harmony, Hope, Oxford and Pohatcong. Per-pupil costs can differ greatly every year in such districts, state education spokesman Rich Vespucci said. He said it is likely the districts had more students in 2005-06 that cost more to educate, such as if they had to be sent to a different school. "One or two students can make a difference when you're talking about a one-school district," he said. "That can be enough to really make a dramatic one year change in the numbers." White Township Chief School Administrator Linda Heilman said that was the case in her district. White's per-pupil spending went from $17,009 in 2005-06 to $12,055 last year. "One kid can make that big of a difference," Heilman said. "It can go either way." Most of the local school districts that dropped in total per-pupil costs did not drop in comparative per-pupil costs. Comparative costs are the general education costs, while total costs add in transportation, equipment and costs to send students to other districts. Great Meadows Regional's comparative per pupil costs increased last year from $9,695 to $10,474 but its total per-pupil costs dropped significantly, from $16,579 to $11,977. Superintendent Jason Bing said he is not sure why. District officials have tried to figure out how the state calculates its per pupil rates, but there are too many factors, he said. "Our cost-per-pupil average has always been lower than the state's. That's something we push to do," Bing said. Both Phillipsburg's comparative and per-pupil costs dropped slightly. The district went from $13,856 to $13,675 in comparative and from $15,690 to $14,557 in total. Business Administrator Bill Poch said the drop is likely because of two factors: increased enrollment and cuts in state funding. "The state has really limited us in the last couple years in funding," he said. Reporter Lynn Olanoff can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by e-mail at lolanoff@express-times.com.