A 2019 report from Education Resouce Strategies (ERS) found that Ravenswood is the only district in San Mateo County that does not have access to a high local tax base (see graph below). Across San Mateo County, 40% of students are considered unduplicated - meaning that they are either English Language Learners, Foster youth, or eligible for reduced price meals. However, in Ravenswood, 94% of students met that criteria; all of our schools have over 85% of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch. Of the other 150+ traditional public schools in the county, there is only one other school with more than 85% free or reduced price lunch. 

 

Before the latest round of stimulus funds, which were largely allocated based on student need, Ravenswood - when accounting for student need - received approximately half the revenue per pupil as other local elementary school districts such as Brisbane, Menlo Park, Las Lomitas,Hillsborough, Portola Valley, and Woodside (see figure below).

This funding inequity is most visible in differences in compensation. For example, in Menlo Park the max teacher salary is $131,664 and in Palo Alto it is $144,239. In Ravenswood, before these leases were contemplated, the top teacher salary was $96,818. This means that veteran teachers in Palo Alto would make 50% more than veteran teachers in East Palo Alto. Over the course of their careers, this results in over a million dollars less for our teachers. Historically, this significant disparity has meant that Ravenswood has lost over 40% of our teachers in the first five years of their tenure. 

 

Leasing these two sites will not close these funding inequities - but it will make a sizable dent in it. Absent changes to make funding in the state and county more equitable, these leases are Ravenswood's only path to have similar levels of sustainable expenditures with surrounding districts. On the assumption that these leases will go into effect - with philanthropic support for the first few years - we have reached an agreement with our teachers union that will begin to compensate our teachers at similar levels to neighboring communities. 

The district is currently working on formalizing an agreement with Alliant Strategic and Madison Capital - more information about each is included in the links below. Together, these leases - along with our existing leases and the continued support of the Ravenswood Education Foundation (REF) -- can help us close the funding inequities in San Mateo. Without these supports, as the graph below shows, Ravenswood would have the lowest amount of per pupil funding in the county. With the leases, we're able to get to the average level of funding of districts in the county. While this doesn't entirely close these funding inequities, it makes a significant dent in them and begins to allow Ravenswood to stand on its own two feet.