There has been a lot of information in the news recently related to education in Baltimore. But I think the news most relevant to money relates to per-pupil expenditures.
The Maryland Public Policy Institute states that in 2021 “the Census Bureau reported that the per-pupil expenditure for BCPS schools during fiscal year 2019 was $15,888, or 11th highest among the nation’s 100-largest school districts.”
The average tuition for CSFB scholars at private schools this year was $10,302. Tuition at the majority of CSFB schools range from $4,500 to $14,600.
And perhaps even more significantly, this expenditure is not producing acceptable results, and outcomes are getting worse. The report goes on to note that “fewer than two in 10 BCPS 4th or 8th grade students scored “proficient” in reading or math exams on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Among low-income students, more than half of 4th and 8th grade students scored “below basic” on the NAEP reading and math exams.”
Our average tuition is 35% less than the BCPS expenditure and our outcome data for high school graduation is more than 50% higher for the low-income students we serve.
Do the math. CSFB’s $2,000 per-pupil “investment” pays off. For our students who excel and thrive in the schools their parents select and to our city, which ultimately benefits when we graduate children from high school, CSFB is worth the investment to support school choice.
Please join me in making an EXTRA contribution today or support us at a dollar amount that represents your commitment to helping our low-income students THRIVE!
To read the full report, click here https://www.mdpolicy.org/research/detail/baltimore-citys-k-12-education-crisis
Thank you for helping to make a positive impact in the lives of children and our communities.
Beth Sandbower Harbinson
Executive Director