Base funding for intra-school "infrastructure" should be separate from per student monies and somewhat inviolate

The Washington Post reports, "D.C. school librarians want the district to keep them employed even if budgets are tight," that many school principals are taking money budgeted for libraries and librarians and spending it on other priorities.

For many years I've argued that a school budget should be differentiated, into two tranches.

One tranche would be a base allocation for school support and infrastructure, including libraries, school nurses and other health programs, student tracking software, administration, etc.  It could go up based on greater enrollment.

And that this amount should be budgeted separately from the annual budget based on school enrollment, out of the idea that a principal shouldn't have to choose between books and media, software management systems or a nurse--that all students deserve and need access to such supports.

The other tranche would be for teachers, aides, materials, etc., based on enrollment.

It's so basic and obvious.

While I am not necessarily a fan of zero based budgeting programs, school systems needs to look at expenditures in terms of how much value they add to student learning and allocate monies accordingly.*

Towards this kind of thinking, last year's teacher strike settlement in Los Angeles resulted not just in raises, but a commitment to reduced class sizes, nurses on every campus, and librarians at every middle and high school--but not elementary schools! (oops) ("In L.A. Unified elementary schools, library books could be off-limits to many students," Los Angeles Times).

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Also see "The bilingual Key Elementary School in Arlington County as another example of the "upsidedownness" of community planning," 2019.


* Years ago on a city e-list, another guy and myself were criticized for arguing against spending one million dollars yearly to bus students from one school to another a few blocks away for an after school program.  They should've walked and those monies be used for something else that would add value.