SPD savings reach millions: profound cost-cutting measures acquiring notable success
In the city of Ingolstadt, around 1,300 students are guest students, attending schools outside their home district. However, there are no Ingolstadt students attending gymnasiums (high schools) in neighbouring districts as guest students. This imbalance has sparked a debate about the guest school contribution system in Bavaria, particularly in relation to the operating and investment costs for gymnasiums.
According to the Bavarian School Finance Act (BaySchFG), the guest school contribution is intended to compensate for costs incurred by schools hosting students from outside their standard jurisdiction. However, it appears that the current guest school contribution for gymnasiums does not come close to covering costs, as estimated by SPD city councilor Quirin Witty, who suggests that Ingolstadt city incurs uncompensated costs of around 130,000 euros per year due to the current system.
Max Foerster, a member of the SPD City Council Faction, has launched an initiative for adequate calculation of guest school contributions, aiming to achieve cost fairness and create incentives for cross-regional school development. The SPD proposes advocating to the Free State of Bavaria and at the municipal level to adjust the level of guest school contributions for gymnasiums, so they compensate for operating and investment costs according to the BaySchFG.
The operating costs for a gymnasium with a capacity of 1,300 students in Ingolstadt are approximately 1,050 euros per student per year. To ensure fair compensation, adjustments to the guest school contribution system could be made to better reflect these actual costs. This would involve regularly reviewing the amount charged in relation to current operating and investment expenses and possibly tying the contribution to specific cost categories such as infrastructure usage or additional staffing needs.
The SPD city council faction presents this initiative as a sensible long-term alternative to a joint venture gymnasium with the Pfaffenhofen district, which some voices have suggested due to Ingolstadt's current financial difficulties. Mayor candidate and SPD faction leader Christian De Lapuente states that the uncovered operating and investment costs will run into the millions in the long term.
It is essential to note that the guest school contribution system in Bavaria typically represents a partial compensation mechanism, which may not fully cover all operating and investment costs for gymnasiums. Adjustments to the system to ensure fair compensation would require transparent cost accounting and potentially revising contribution limits or formulas to align with actual expenses. For exact figures, policies, or ongoing adjustments in Bavaria, official Bavarian education department sources or legislation documents would need to be consulted.
Interestingly, a cost replacement is calculated for vocational schools in Bavaria, which is significantly higher than the current guest school contribution for gymnasiums, ranging between 2,369 euros (vocational school 2) and 3,713 euros (vocational school 1). This difference in cost replacement highlights the need for a reevaluation of the guest school contribution system for gymnasiums to ensure fair compensation.
In conclusion, the SPD's initiative to adjust the guest school contribution system for gymnasiums is a step towards ensuring fair compensation for schools hosting students from outside their standard jurisdiction. Transparent cost accounting and revising contribution limits or formulas to align with actual expenses would be crucial in achieving this goal. The exact figures, policies, or ongoing adjustments in Bavaria can be found in official Bavarian education department sources or legislation documents.
- The ongoing debate about the guest school contribution system in Bavaria, especially in relation to gymnasiums, has been stimulated by the disparity between the costs incurred by schools hosting students from outside their district, as suggested by SPD city councilor Quirin Witty, who estimates that Ingolstadt city incurs an uncompensated annual cost of around 130,000 euros.
- In a bid to achieve cost fairness and foster cross-regional school development, Max Foerster, an SPD City Council Faction member, has proposed an initiative for adequate calculation of guest school contributions, advocating for adjustments to the system that would better reflect the actual operating and investment costs for gymnasiums.
