What’s measured Public school capital expenditures per pupil are measured both for school districts and the region. A five-year average is calculated because capital spending by school districts fluctuates significantly from year to year. Total capital expenditures were divided by total enrollment to produce an annual per pupil capital expenditure for each school year from 2000-01 through 2005-05. Those annual figures were then averaged to produce an average per pupil capital expenditure in public education for the five-year period. Data are from the North Carolina Public Schools Statistical Abstract (multiple years) and the South Carolina Department of Education Financial Analysis Model for Education. Enrollment data used for per pupil calculations are from the National Center for Education Statistics. Why it’s measured Per pupil capital expenditures provide a measure of money invested in school districts to renovate or add schools. Strong enrollment growth tends to drive this measure. Indicator results The average annual per pupil public school capital expenditure from 2000-01 to 2004-05 for the region was $898. This is higher than the North Carolina average ($682), but lower than South Carolina’s ($1,143). Evaluation This format shows that districts such as York 4 (Fort Mill) and Union County, which have had dramatic enrollment increases, have indeed spent more per pupil on capital improvements than other districts in the region. From 2000-01 through 2004-05, York 4 (Fort Mill) averaged the highest per pupil capital expenditure of any school district in the region, at $2,324. Union was a distant second at $1,419. York 3 (Rock Hill) and Charlotte-Mecklenburg were virtually tied at $1,391 and $1,385, respectively. After that, the next highest total was $985 (Lancaster County). Connections Investment will be critical to keep up with growth. This indicator links to other infrastructure decisions in communities, such as roads and water and sewer projects. Since resources are limited, strategic use of funds will be critical to meet the range of infrastructure needs, including school facilities.
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