Online transparency tool sheds light on public school spending

A website that served as a report card for Pennsylvania's public schools' academic performance now carries information that details their fiscal performance as well.

At a Capitol news conference on Wednesday, Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver, announced the launch of this online tool at http://www.paschoolperformance.orgthat he said will give "people more access to the way we spend their hard earned tax dollars."

For a step-by-step guide on how to access the information, click here.

He noted that schools collectively spend $27.6 billion a year but finding out how that money is spent has been less than transparent. Twice, he had introduced legislation to create a SchoolWATCH website that would present public schools' fiscal information but the bill never made it into law.

He said he often heard from "opponents to transparency" that "there was no way to grant this level of access without undue cost and undue burden to our schools." He called them "pathetic excuses," particularly when he found out the Department of Education already collected much of the same information that his legislation sought to make available.

Of particular note is the website includes individual salary information for professional employees including superintendents, principals, teachers, psychologists, among others. Information that appears on the site now is for 2012-13. Department officials say the 2013-14 information will be posted in May when it becomes available from school districts.

Tim Eller, education department spokesman, said the fiscal information that now appears on the school profiles for the 500 school districts, 176 charter schools, 14 cyberschools, 73 career and technical schools and 29 intermediate units was scattered throughout the department's website.

This site, however, makes it more readily available and easier to find, he said. "This put it in one area where the public can access and gain information with the click of a mouse," he said.

Christiana said he plans to continue to push for passage of a law in this legislative session to ensure this effort to make school fiscal information more transparent becomes a permanent feature.

House Education Committee Chairman Stan Saylor, R-Red Lion, said the committee will consider Christiana's bill at a meeting later this month.

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Online transparency tool sheds light on public school spending