Dearest reader,
Lady B has made her way to Clarkston Community Schools.
And this ledger looks a little different from many we have opened lately.
Enrollment did not fall. It grew.
Over the last decade, Clarkston's student headcount increased from 8,320.00 to 9,024.69.
That is an increase of 704.69 students, or 8.47%.
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Now let us follow the money.
From 2014-15 to 2024-25, per-pupil spending and revenue changed as follows:
All Sources Revenue
$10,351 → $14,530
+40.37% nominal
+3.85% after inflation
Total Instruction
$6,280 → $9,351
+48.90% nominal
+10.16% after inflation
Instructional Support
$1,001 → $2,173
+117.08% nominal
+60.60% after inflation
Business & Administration
$861 → $1,303
+51.34% nominal
+11.96% after inflation
Operations & Maintenance
$726 → $1,025
+41.18% nominal
+4.45% after inflation
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And then we arrive at teacher salaries.
Average teacher salary:
2014-15: $65,405
2024-25: $68,728
That is an increase of just $3,323 over ten years.
Nominal increase: 5.08%
After adjusting for inflation:
-22.26%
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That is quite the contrast.
Over the same decade that Clarkston added more than 700 students, instructional support spending per pupil increased 60.60% after inflation.
Business and administration spending per pupil increased 11.96% after inflation.
Total instruction increased 10.16% after inflation.
Yet average teacher salary lost 22.26% of its purchasing power.
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Why?
Where did Clarkston choose to put its additional resources over the last decade?
And as enrollment increased, did staffing inside the classroom keep pace with the students walking through the doors?
Those are questions for the next page of the ledger.
Because Lady B has already counted the people.
And Step 2 is rather interesting.
With receipts and respect. 👑
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