A resident inquired on the Brookfieldny.com "Guestbook" about the salary costs for the local school district. For Brookfield School salaries, you can refer to the new website "See Through NY" at http://www.seethroughny.net/ The website includes salaries for Bookfield teachers and the superintendent. The Business Manager and Board promptly responded to a FOIL request (thank you!) and provided updated information on the Business Manager and the newly appointed Principal. The updated salary information on those positions for 2009-10: BUSINESS MANAGER ($89,730 salary ); SUPERINTENDENT ($85,000) and PRINCIPAL ($85,000) - for a total of $ 259,730 base salary or approximately $1,000 per student for these three positions. In addition to salary, all but the Business Manager, receive health, dental and retirement benefits. The Business Manager receives just dental and retirement coverage.
To put Brookfield school expenses in perspective, using the 2009-10 budget and state education resources; and a student population of approximately 260:
1. TOTAL Brookfield ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ran approximately $488,000 or $1,877 per student ($ 488,000/260 students).
2. TOTAL Brookfield BUDGET 2009-10 Brookfield is approximately $5.3 MILLION or $20,385 per STUDENT ($5,300,000 / 260).
3. On average, each American state spent $9,666 a pupil in 2007-08.
3. New York State spends more on education than any other state - approximately $16,800 per student.
4. Thus, Brookfield's average cost per student of $20,385 is running approximately 20% over the state average of $16,800; and almost TWICE the national average.....leaving us with among the highest education costs in the country.
Let us know if anyone has any updates or additional information (or math corrections!) that can put these costs in a better perspective. FYI - "See Through NY" also offers searchable databases of complete employee payrolls for the state government, New York City, public school districts and public authorities; a breakdown of $148 million in legislative pork barrel projects; operations spending by the state Senate and Assembly; and a benchmarking tool to compare local government spending on a per-capita basis.
