You Do the Math

While reading Stan Mack’s page on the Robbinsdale School District’s web page, I came across an interesting fact. The web site says the following;

“He (Mack) is responsible for the education of 12,500 Kindergarten through 12th grade students and a large population of preschool and adult learners. Under his direction, the school district employs approximately 2,000 employees and manages an annual budget in excess of $130 million.”

Now I’m no math genius but does that mean we have six students per employee? OK now, before someone comments that not all these employees are teachers, we already know that. But let’s say for conversation’s sake that half of the employees are teachers. That still gives us a 12 to 1 ratio.

How can it be then that we have class sizes of 35 as the district and referendum advocates claimed? Do we have too many bus drivers? Do we have too many in the kitchen staff? Do we have too may administrators and guidance counselors? Perhaps these questions can be answered before the district come back to us for more money yet again.