Missouri Releases Building Level Per-Pupil Expenditures

     The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has released Building Level Per-Pupil Expenditure information for the first time on each school district’s 2019 Annual Report card. This change is part of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and its focus on ensuring equitable resources and opportunities for every student at every school. Previously, per-pupil expenditures were only reported at the district level.
     There are several variables to note when attempting to compare expenditures between buildings, whether those buildings are within the same school district or belong to different districts.
     Expenditures at buildings can vary for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to:
 
The needs of students in that school and the programs facilitated at that building;
 
The experience and education, and therefore the salaries, of staff members in that school, as well as the cost of living associated with that geographical area (i.e. metropolitan versus rural school districts).
     Below is a list of building level per-pupil expenditures for the Grain Valley School District.
 
Grain Valley High School: $9,328.04
Grain Valley South Middle School: $10,124.33
Grain Valley North Middle School: $8,475.48
Matthews Elementary: $8,827.10
Sni-A-Bar Elementary: $9,705.58
Prairie Branch Elementary: $8,951.72
Stony Point Elementary: $9,383.46