By Ian Aikens | September 6, 2023
Do you ever wonder where your property taxes go and if the money is well spent for “the common good?” A cursory look at your property tax bill tells you most of your money goes to government schools for “education.” For the “well spent” part of the equation, let’s take a look at the proficiency results for Milton’s schools:
| Cost Per Pupil | Entity | 2019 | ||
| ELA* | Math | Science | ||
| $17,561 | Milton District | 36% | 15% | 16% |
| $25,294 | Nute High School | 36% | < 10% | < 10% |
| $20,307 | Nute Middle School | 33% | 12% | 15% |
| $17,725 | Milton Elementary School | 39% | 19% | 27% |
| Cost Per Pupil | Entity | 2022 | ||
| ELA* | Math | Science | ||
| $19,828 | Milton District | 25% | 17% | 22% |
| $26,976 | Nute High School | 36% | < 10% | < 10% |
| $21,088 | Nute Middle School | 27% | 17% | 17% |
| $21,501 | Milton Elementary School | 21% | 17% | 32% |
*English Language Arts
I have included the figures for 2019 to counter the oft-repeated excuse for this dismal failure of Milton’s government schools that it was the remote learning during the pandemic that caused the scores to slip. The fact is that they were lousy before the pandemic, and they are just a little worse now. (Actually, they are a little higher in Science now).
If it’s any comfort to Milton’s taxpayers, the rest of New Hampshire’s government schools are not in much better shape as proficiency scores of less than 50% are common throughout the state, especially in math and science. However, it looks like Milton’s government schools could qualify for the booby prize for both years as they rank in the lower 25% range across all levels in all areas except for Milton Elementary, which ranked in the middle 50% statewide in science in 2022. Not that 32% proficiency is anything to write home about.
One question you might ask is why the New Hampshire Department of Education reports “less than 10%” in some categories, rather than the actual figures. Could it be the new avant-garde math that has many parents (and apparently students) so confused? No, not really. I’ve been told the bureaucrats’ reason is because when the number is so low, the public could presumably figure out who the student is, and that would be a violation of confidentiality. Heavens to Betsy, even if there is only one student that is proficient in math (and at Nute High School, that’s a real possibility), and the public could figure it out, would that be so tragic? These days, apparently so. I suspect that sheer embarrassment for school bureaucrats has more to do with the imprecise score than privacy concerns.
Another thing I might point out is how consistently the government spends more per student as the child progresses from elementary to high school. (That doesn’t quite hold true in 2022 comparing Milton Elementary to Nute Middle School). Does it make sense to put more resources into educating students once they are able to read and learn a few things for themselves? Shouldn’t a high school student be able to work more independently than a grade school child? Do high school students still need to be babysat? This emphasis on spending more on young adults than children is completely twisted and an indication that something is very amiss.
So, what are we going to do about this mess? Well, forced taxpayer funding of “education” isn’t going away anytime soon, but one thing could help lessen “the tragedy of the commons.” I hang out at the State House, and the word on the street is that some state representatives are working on a bill for this upcoming session to introduce an actual high school literacy test as a graduation requirement. Yes, rather than graduating virtually anyone who shows up at school somewhat regularly (under threat of fines to their parents for noncompliance)—whether they are actually literate or not—students will have to pass a high school literacy test in order to be awarded a diploma.
Of course, the teachers’ unions will recoil in horror if the bill progresses along, as they like the current setup of no accountability just fine, but they shouldn’t lose too much sleep. After all, these are government schools—let’s not reach for the moon! The test will likely be similar to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), which isn’t all that tough. Students in Massachusetts start taking the test in the 10th grade, and they have two additional years to pass it. Furthermore, they have all kinds of accommodations for English Language Learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities. But it is finally a step in the right direction because it puts the incentive for students in the right place that just showing up and coasting along will not cut the grade in New Hampshire anymore.
It also puts teachers and school bureaucrats on notice that they have to do a better job of promoting literacy. Isn’t that what they get paid for?
References:
MA DESE. (2023, August 29). Massachusetts Graduation Requirements and Related Guidance. Retrieved from www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/graduation.html
NH DOE. (2022). School And District Report Card. Retrieved from dashboard.nh.gov/t/DOE/views/iReport/FrontPage?%3Aembed=y&%3Aiid=1&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y&%3Atabs=no&%3Atoolbar=no
Milton Observer 