Submitted by Lopez School
Lopez School has continued to conduct research into issues that have been raised recently. School officials report that in the areas of academic achievement and financial health the district is performing solidly and with efficiency. School officials report that the district’s financial health is good. The financial records are in the process of being finalized for 2012-2013, and school officials are projecting a final 8 percent reserve. This healthy reserve is helped by a growing enrollment, which over the past two years has increased from 202 FTE students to this Fall’s 217 FTE.
The district’s Moody’s credit rating is in the highest category of “investment grade debt” – at an Aa3 rating. This strong rating for a small district reflects Moody’s assessment of the school’s conservative and prudent budgeting and reduces the tax burden for the community by helping achieve lower interest rates.
Lopez officials report that total educational/operating costs per student fall into the middle range of peer, small K-12 Districts – districts with enrollment between 200-225 students (Lopez, Lind, Prescott, Inchelium, Odessa, Lake Quinault, Columbia-Stevens, Rosalia, Tekoa, Curlew, and Trout Lake). Only a comparison with like-sized districts has meaning, as larger districts such as Orcas (three times the size of Lopez) and San Juan (four times the size of Lopez) have significant economies of scale that allow them to spread fixed costs such as administration, maintenance, etc. Also, as a small high school, Lopez receives extra state funding to help the school offer the breadth of classes required by the state. This has the effect of raising the cost-per-student and is another reason that a comparison to like-sized districts is appropriate.
Among the 11 like-sized districts, Lopez has more staff per student than the average, with two teachers and four classified more than the average. This higher staffing allows the presentation of a broader curriculum and more services than many of the other districts provide. The district is able to provide these valued extra services, while still keeping the cost-per-student in the average range of the peer schools.
Academically, the District’s efforts at improvement are reflected in two important documents. U.S. News and World Report recently ranked Lopez the highest among small high schools in Washington. Lopez was ranked number 21 of all the public high schools in the state, and in the top 5 percent of all high schools in the U.S.
This rating is based on assessment of “state proficiency standards and preparation of students for college.” (http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools) In the current Washington Achievement Index, all Lopez academic programs (elementary, middle and high school) have moved into the “very good” category, the second highest level. Lopez scored very high for “year-to-year” improvements across all programs and subject areas. In the case of its math scores, upon which Lopez has been aggressively working, the year-to-year improvement was rated “exemplary.” (https://eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/WAI)
“Both on an academic and financial basis, the district reports a healthy status quo and, over the past several years, solid improvement in both academic and financial performance,” reports Superintendent Bill Evans.
Contact Evans at 468-2202 or bevans@lopez.k12.wa.us.
