Class size, teacher salary level, and cost per student
The average salary for an entry-level teacher in Vermont is $31,047,
while a mid-career teacher averages $45,615 and a senior teacher
averages $58,070 (according to the Vermont NEA).
At the same time, the student-teacher ratio ranges from a low of
about 8 students per teacher to as high as 20. These two factors
combine to create the potential for dramatic changes in cost per
student.
The following graph shows how teacher salaries and benefits contribute
to cost per student over the range of class sizes and salary levels
outlined above. At the extremes, the range is quite dramatic.
For the largest class being taught by an entry-level teacher, the
cost contribution is just over $2,000 per student. At the other
end of the spectrum, the smallest class being taught by a senior-level
teacher, the cost contribution is just over $9,400. For the more
typical range of class size (10 to 14 students per teacher), the cost
contribution ranges from about $4,000 (for an entry-level teacher) to
about $5,400 (for a senior-level teacher).
This analysis suggests a few important concepts to keep in mind when looking at cost per student:
- Filling a vacancy created by a departing entry-level teacher with
a senior-level teacher (or vice versa) can signfiicantly impact
calculated cost per student. for that class.
- For a school with a small staff, even one such change can materially impact school-wide cost per student.
- These differences are even more dramatic as class sizes get smaller.
To take part in a discussion on this topic, visit the EducationFundingData.com blog and click on the "comments" link at the bottom of the page.
Copyright (C) 2006 by Ken Dufort