$100 Million??

I was pleased to hear last week about the $100 million contribution from Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook to the Newark Public Schools in Newark, New Jersey. What a great contribution!


But from my perspective in Riverside, CA – HOW bizarre!! For that matter, this feels a bit like the bizarre qualities of much of the “federal reform” of the states-rights educational systems. Newark, like much of the East Coast, is funded at an incredible level compared to anything here in California or more locally in Riverside. So here are the statistics (by THEIR report to their Board – 3/29/2010):

• Enrollment: 38,400 (for 09-10)
• Budget: $800 million (10-11) plus another $140 million in “grants and entitlements” …they like us in RUSD lost about $50 million for this current year
• Per student funding: $14,658 per student

In contrast, here in Riverside, RUSD’s numbers are:

• Enrollment: 42,631 students
• Budget: $297 million (10-11) …and we reduced about $45 million in our budget this past year
• Per student funding: $4,990 per student

So what was the Newark difference in performance? While each state is substantially different in their assessment, it is clear from the Great Schools website analysis that Newark is significantly below the New Jersey state average in every category.

While I truly wish Newark and Zuckerberg all the best, it boggles my mind to think how $100 million in the Newark system will make ANY difference at this point. It also strikes me these differences are larger than Riverside and Newark – it essentially describes a difference between the East and West coast in its funding and therefore the educational opportunities that can be provided.