SAGINAW PUBLIC SCHOOLS: THE LEDGER GETS INTERESTING
Well, dear readers, after spending some quality time with several years of Saginaw Public Schools' financial records, my quill kept wandering back to the same columns.
Because while the district has been serving fewer pupils, some areas of spending have been heading decidedly in the opposite direction.
From 2021–22 to 2024–25:
Instruction increased 23.0%.
General Administration increased 33.3%.
School Administration increased 30.0%.
Business Services increased 61.0%.
And Central & Other Support?
That increased 102.9%.
Yes. More than doubled.
Then there is another rather substantial number sitting in the 2024–25 ledger:
$15,010,513 in Professional & Technical Purchased Services, 11.26% of General Fund expenditures.
Now, before anyone gets carried away with the smelling salts, an increase does not automatically mean improper spending. And Lady Budgetdown is not tossing the district's bond construction activity into this comparison and pretending it is ordinary operating spending.
I separated that out deliberately.
But when pupil count has declined, overall staffing FTE has declined, teacher FTE has declined, while administrative FTE and several administrative/support spending categories have grown, I think a perfectly reasonable question lands on the ledger:
Did the district appropriately resize its administrative and support structure as the number of pupils it serves declined?
I don't have to answer that question for you.
I just have to keep putting the receipts on the table. 🪶
And these receipts are getting rather chatty.
With receipts and respect.
#LadyBudgetdown #SaginawPublicSchools #SchoolSpending #EducationFinance #SchoolTransparency #FollowTheMoney #TheReceipts