Analysts with the John Locke Foundation have recently begun releasing a series of policy reports examining various sales tax requests that will be voted on across the state on May 6.
While they have yet to prepare a report on Rockingham County, much insight can be gained by examining the fiscal situation of different counties across the state.
“By far, counties spend more money on public education than on any other area. Total local government spending in North Carolina on public education was $2.68 billion — or $1,934 per pupil — for the 2006-07 school year. Nearly 25 percent of all expenditures on public schools come from local tax revenue.
Given the amount of taxpayer money involved, sympathetic appeals for school funding should not come at the expense of sound fiscal policy.
County governments and school boards should hold expenditures of local tax dollars for education and additions to public school personnel in proportion to changes in their school populations.”
Can anybody tell us the difference between school population in Rockingham County in 1998 and 2008? How about the difference in the school’s annual budget?
