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March 4, 2010

Anonymous The Kokomo Tribune Thu Mar 04, 2010, 05:33 PM EST

Every Howard County school district published an annual report in the Feb. 20 edition of the Kokomo Tribune.

They’re required by the Indiana Department of Education, and they’re worth a read.

The reports assembled the most recent data available on student test scores, graduation rates, school safety, teacher salaries and school expenditures.

You could find by looking at the reports that, other than Kokomo-Center, Howard County schools are spending less per student than the state average. Spending last year ranged from $8,400 per student at Western to $10,500 per student at Northwestern. Kokomo-Center spent $12,900 per student. The state average was $10,700.

You could also learn how local schools compare in terms of teacher salaries.

Local teachers stack up well on starting salaries, which ranged from $27,756 at Taylor to $31,462 at Eastern. The state average starting salary was $24,133.

Experienced teachers, though didn’t fare quite so well. The maximum teacher’s salary ranged from $60,642 at Northwestern to $69,474 at Kokomo. The statewide average maximum was $84,686.

The reports show that the percentage of graduates pursuing a college education ranged from 47 percent at Taylor to 89 percent at Western. The statewide average was 76 percent.

The reports also include the percentage of graduates earning academic honors diplomas. They ranged from 25 percent at Kokomo to 50 percent at Western. The state average was 31 percent.

The report will tell you average SAT scores and the percentage of students passing the graduation qualifying exam. It will show you the average class size at your child’s elementary school and how that compares to the state average.

The goal of presenting this information in a single report is to encourage students, parents and concerned citizens to play a more active role in their schools.

If you haven’t already taken a look at the report, you should.

And if you don’t like what you see, you should check with your school’s principal, with the parent-teacher group or with the local school board to find out what you can do to make a difference.

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