Governor Andrew Cuomo has often criticized schools in the state for spending too much and producing too little.
But Neal Miller believes the opposite is true for Cornwall. The superintendent mentions that Cornwall is still at the bottom of the heap in per pupil spending, but the district
-had the top scores in the county in seven out of 12 assessment tests,
-led the area in mastery of Regents exams (scores of 85 and above),
-and had the highest percentage of students graduate with Regents diplomas
Districts spending
the least per pupil
Cornwall $20,354
Washingtonville $20,527
Saugerties $20,766
Pine Bush $20,982
Highland $21,309
Districts spending
the most per pupil
Tuxedo $54,489
Onteora $37,927
Sullivan West $32,614
Livi. Manor $31,336
Rondout Valley $30,381
To calculate spending per pupil, researchers divide a school district’s budget by the number of students enrolled. If the school population declines, the cost per pupil is likely to go up, because the overhead is spread among fewer students.
In citing the district’s academic success, Mr. Miller complimented the principals and teachers, but didn’t give them all the credit.
“We have a lot of families and students,” he said,”who take their education very seriously.”
