Data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicate that the average private elementary school tuition in America is less than $4,000 and the average private secondary school tuition is around $6,000. Public schools spend far more per student, so states could save money by allowing more children to attend less expensive private schools.
Private schools cost less, as a rule, because of smaller administrative bureaucracies. A 1989 study by the Manhattan Institute showed that New York City public schools had 6,000 administrators on the payroll while the city's Catholic schools had only 25, even though parochial schools served about one-forth as many students. According to 1999 data from the National Center for Education Statistics, teachers comprise only 52.2% of all public-school personnel in America. In private schools, the percentage is above 80%.
Massive public school bureaucracies are a much more serious problem then a supposed lack of funding.
In fact, New York City already has the second-highest school spending level in the nation. Only Washington, D.C., spends more, but doesn't get better results. That's why the D.C. mayor, Anthony Williams, supported a new school-voucher program that gives children in his city up to $7,500 for tuition, transportation, and fees to attend local private schools.
The D.C. program enrolled over 1,000 children in private schools this school year. The $7,500 spent per student is far less than the $13,355 the district currently spends to educate a child in its public schools. Next year, the program will expand to almost 2,000 private school scholarships.
If New York City did the same thing, it could save nearly a half-billion dollars every year in education costs, assuming that at least 10% of the city's 1.1 million public school students took the private option. If 20% made the jump to private schools, the city would save almost $1 billion a year. At the same time, many children would get a chance for a better education.
Choice programs have a further advantage: They force public school bureaucracies to compete. The fact that public schools could lose students and revenues when children leave for private schools would inspire improvements throughout the public system. As new private schools open to take advantage of the new regime, children would have more options, and the quality of education would improve for everyone.
Throwing billions of dollars at the New York City school system is not the answer. If the state of New York wants to help children, it should increase competition and choice among schools.
