Mario:

Far be it from me to defend APS doing anything, but when calculating the Amy Biehl cost per student, one needs to remember the uniquely cheap situation ABHS is walking into. (full disclosure: I worked at ABHS before going back to APS)

I won't bore you and your readers with too many details, but Amy Biehl HS got a sweetheart (not that there's anything wrong with that) deal from the government on the building downtown, leaving only haz mat abatement and other remodeling to pay for.

They do have rent...it's like $100 a month.

I have absolutely nothing against the ABHS funding strategy, and wish everybody in education could be as entreprenurial. At the same time, ABHS is a special case, and, perhaps, one upon examination that not every anti-big government person would fully endorse. I don't know for sure, I'm a person who favors big government.

So, to make a long ramble shorter, it's a bit of apples/oranges. I'm sure APS is spending too much on its new schools. I'm also sure it's not quite the four times too much your post suggests.

Meanwhile, keep up the look at school funding..it's fascinating, disturbing and with the gas/oil windfall sure to get more of both.
scot | Homepage | 11.12.05 - 9:39 am | #