Some comparisons between Trinity and Canon-Mac
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In many instances, it is not reasonable to compare school districts. However, given the current situation related to the funding of local libraries and comments made about the Trinity Area School District and the Canon-McMillan School District at the June 19 Trinity school board meeting, I can’t resist making a succinct comparison between Trinity and Canon-McMillan. The facts are that both districts have:
• A student body where 25 percent of students are economically disadvantaged.
• Very nice salary schedules for their professional staff.
• Relatively small class sizes.
• Very nice facilities.
• A community library within each district that relies upon funding from local municipalities, the county, state, and the school district.
There are also very significant differences between the two districts. I would like to highlight just four of them. They are:
• Canon-McMillan’s budget provides for an annual per pupil expenditure of about $13,000. The huge increase in Trinity’s budget for the upcoming year brings their annual per pupil expenditure to over $15,000.
• Canon-McMillan’s 2013 state ranking for achievement was 62. Trinity’s rank was 190.
• Canon-McMillan contributed $123,000 to support their local library this past year. This figure is approximately five times higher than the highest amount – $26,250 – ever given to Citizens Library by Trinity.
• Canon-McMillan students have reached very high levels of academic performance, with several schools receiving Blue Ribbon awards by the U.S. Department of Education. Trinity has none.
Could it be that our good neighbors in Canonsburg have a greater understanding of fiscal responsibility and realize the positive correlation between the Frank Sarris Public Library and the achievement of their students?
Dennis McWreath
Washington
McWreath is a former member of the Trinity Area School Board and is a current member of the board of directors at Citizens Library in Washington.