Haywood County Schools may cut their budget and close an elementary school, mostly due to a shortfall in local funding.
As Rep. Michele Presnell pointed out, the Haywood County Schools have increased their per pupil expenditures over the last three years. In fact, their per student spending is higher in 2015 than it was before the Great Recession. (See table below.)
State and local money that follows students to charter schools also removes that child from the district. Simply put, the funding is lost but so is the cost. The same applies to declining enrollment in the district. If you have fewer students, you will receive less funding from the state and federal government.
It would make sense for school leaders to determine why parents in Haywood County choose to send their children to charter schools. Competition should spur improvement, that is, unless you were a monopoly that never had to worry about competitors.
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State | Federal | Local | Total | Total Rank | |
| 2015 | $5,685.95 | $1,051.26 | $2,543.88 | $9,281.09 | 54 | |
| 2014 | $5,480.09 | $942.95 | $2,481.40 | $8,904.44 | 61 | |
| 2013 | $5,415.12 | $1,037.50 | $2,383.89 | $8,836.51 | 65 | |
| 2012 | $5,488.97 | $1,174.12 | $2,184.78 | $8,847.87 | 56 | |
| 2011 | $5,248.66 | $1,379.14 | $2,174.35 | $8,802.15 | 61 | |
| 2010 | $5,299.78 | $1,370.35 | $2,145.03 | $8,815.16 | 62 | |
| 2009 | $5,704.52 | $913.72 | $2,330.57 | $8,948.81 | 65 | |
| 2008 | $5,665.29 | $827.43 | $2,288.09 | $8,780.81 | 62 |
