THURSDAY’S report the the Emporia school district did well in Standard & Poor’s ratings of Kansas schools was good news. The Emporia schools scored an efficiency rating of 98.67 percent. That means that the district is getting a good return in student academic performance for the money it spends.
Even better news was that 21 districts in the state scored 100 percent. That is an amazing result, considering the state has 296 districts, of which 257 were graded by the national financial-service firm.
The high ratings are important. Just a few years ago, when the Legislature was engaged in a battle over school finance, opponents of increased spending insisted that schools did not need more money, that districts just needed to spend the money they had more wisely. The schools’ critics painted a picture of districts that lived high on the hog for most of the year, then dressed in rags and patches to beg the Legislature for more money.
That image — think of it as the education equivalent of the myth of the Cadillac-driving welfare queen — proved to have some appeal. It is still popular among anti-tax politicians and activists in the state.
The new ratings replace such political innuendo with hard information. District by district, Kansans can see just how much bang they are getting for their education buck.
According to Standard & Poor’s study, some districts are not using their money at all efficiently. The worst rating was for the Altoona-Midway district — 61.8 percent. That is a strong indication to the administrators and residents of that district that there is plenty of room for improvement. But the study has also given such districts a ready-made list of places to go for good advice — the districts that got the highest ratings.
It is good to know that Emporia is one of those districts.
Of course, it would be better if the district were a member of the 100 percent club. But 98.67 percent is still an A is just about anybody’s grade book.
zoahjoe (anonymous) says...
It must have been a slow news day. Just rehash, the same story. No, new information here. Why not write a story about the school system with some actual content. Answer, the question do other states use this S& P rating system?
June 26, 2007 at 7:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporiamom (anonymous) says...
This is an editorial not a news article.
S&P is one of the top providers of information for investors, credit ratings and risk assessments. Many schools and businesses across the country use Standard and Poor's.
June 26, 2007 at 9:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zoahjoe (anonymous) says...
News article or editorial, it is the same story simply being reprinted.
June 26, 2007 at 11:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )