School Finance Comparison Study Winstead Avenue Elementary School (WAVE) and Red Oak Elementary School (ROE)

are unique to Nash Rocky Mount Public Schools, in that they are the only K-2 schools in the district. WAVE currently serves 562 students and ROE has 321 students. Both schools feed one 3-5 sister school and are Title I schools. It was interesting to see what a difference of 241 students makes in the financial makeup of the school. Of the 562 students enrolled at WAVE, 52.2 % are African American, 37.5% White, .4% Asian, 5.4 % Hispanic, .7% Pacific Island, and 3.8 % two or more races. 72.4 % of the students receive free or reduced lunch. WAVE serves exceptional students through resource and two low incidence classrooms. In addition to state, federal, and local funding, WAVE also collects revenue from outside sources such as PTO, Donors Choose, Target grants, and Down East Partnership for Children. Of the 321 students enrolled at ROE, 28.8 % are African American, 58.5 % White, 2.1 % Asian, 9.1 % Hispanic, 2.1 % American Indian, and 1.8 % two or more races. 49.1 % of the students receive free or reduced lunch. ROE also serves exceptional students through resource classrooms. And, in addition to state, federal, and local funding, ROE collects revenue from outside sources such as PTO, Donors Choose, Target grants, and Down East Partnership for Children. WAVE receives $35,094 in state/local funds and $114,064.60 Title I dollars. In comparison, ROE receives $19,478 in state/local funds (a difference of $15,616) and $46, 415.45 Title I dollars (a difference of $67,649.15). Although there is a 23.3% difference in the population of students who receive free and reduced lunch both schools have a high percentage of parental involvement and generate substantial revenue from the

Parent/Teacher Organization. The high parent participation and low teacher turnover rate at both schools (WAVE 8% and ROE 10%) demonstrates the level of commitment from stakeholders in the building and explains how some expenditures are satisfied from donations, grants, etc.