Revenues - Prince William County Public Schools

Fiscal Year 2010 Executive Summary PWCS
Cost Per Pupil
Cost-per-pupil calculations provide an overall view of the
cost of programs that can be used to compare how school
divisions spend their funds. A systemwide cost per pupil,
which includes both general and special education, is
computed by dividing the total operating budget by the
number of students. For FY 2010, the average cost per
pupil for PWCS will be about $9,961; a reduction of $815
per student.
Per-pupil cost figures provide a good perspective of the
cost of instructional programs as well as a measure of
comparison to previous years, state and federal averages,
and surrounding jurisdictions. PWCS has traditionally
maintained a cost per pupil lower than many other school
divisions. In FY 2009, the PWCS cost per pupil ranked
ninth among the nine reporting school divisions in the
Washington Area Boards of Education.
The cost per pupil can also be used to compare the costs in
PWCS to similar school divisions across the United States.
Each year, Educational Research Services (ERS) compiles
a comparison of per-pupil costs for PWCS with all similar
reporting school divisions in the nation. This comparison
shows that PWCS commits more of its financial resources
to instructional services and less of its resources to support
operations than comparable school divisions.
Cost Per Pupil
Comparison
FY 2009
Arlington $19,538
Alexandria $19,078
Falls Church $18,311
Montgomery (MD) $14,705
Fairfax $13,340
Manassas City $13,105
Loudoun $12,780
Prince George’s (MD) $12,107
Prince William $10,776
Source: FY 2009 Washington Area Boards of Education
The cost per pupil for special education students is higher
than for other programs, due primarily to the lower pupilteacher
ratios. A net special education cost per pupil
is calculated because a student not enrolled in special
education would be enrolled in the general education
program. For FY 2010, the additional net cost per pupil
for special education is $10,412. The net additional cost
for students enrolled in the English-for-Speakers-of-Other-
Languages program will be $2,556.
17