as part of the annual DESE End-of-Year Financial Report and is subject to an annual independent audit, which assures that each school district accurately and consistently portrays revenues and expenditures. Newton’s total FY23 expenditure per pupil of $24,267 ranks eighth overall among the fifteen communities shown in the chart and is exceeded by Weston - at $29,360, Wellesley- $26,173, Brookline - $25, 628, Watertown – at $24,961, Dedham – at $24,878, Burlington – at $24,635 and Waltham – at $24,276. Communities with a lower FY23 spending per pupil as compared to Newton include Framingham, Needham, Wayland, Lexington, Arlington and Belmont and Natick (listed in ranked order). Newton’s expenditure per pupil has increased steadily over the years from FY13 to FY23, as has the Massachusetts state average. The following graphic provides history of the per pupil expenditure for Newton Public Schools compared to the Massachusetts average since FY13.
Per Pupil Expenditure TrendsDistricts and Massachusetts Average
Per Pupil Expendutures Year
District MA Average
30,000
FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23
17,141 17,581 18,096 18,779 18,898 19,396 19,298 19,313 22,499 23,571 24,267
14,022 14,518 14,920 15,511 15,996 16,465 16,583 16,984 18,556 19,701 20,509
25,000
20,000
District MA Average
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
FY13FY14FY15FY16FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23
Source: MA Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education Newton also looks to gain insight into per pupil spending comparisons with nearby and/or similar communities by further breaking down per pupil expenditures into categories such as teaching, administration, and professional development. An examination of the spending by comparison communities in different functional expenditure categories is presented in detail in the table on the next page. Key observations are summarized below. Newton’s expenditures in six of ten categories are higher than or equal to its relative rank (eight) in spending. Newton’s spending on Other Teaching Services (including aides, substitutes, librarians and medical/therapeutic positions) is the highest of all comparison districts. This year, Newton’s ranked third in Insurance, Retirement & Other, fifth in Guidance Counseling & Testing, sixth in Professional Development, seventh in Operations and Maintenance, and eighth in Teachers (Classroom and Specialists). Newton’s expenditures in four of ten categories are lower than its overall rank of eighth among all fifteen communities. For example, Newton’s lowest rank is fourteenth in Administration, twelfth in Instructional Materials, Equipment & Technology, tenth in Pupil Services and ninth in Instructional Leadership.
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