From a legislator's perspective, these have been impressive funding achievements to the benefit of students over the past several years. Even when enrollment growth and inflation are considered, school funding has increased over the last ten years at twice the rate of inflation. Not if the most recent years are any indication. At the same time he also proposes that the state take over all K-12 education funding. There is a simple answer.
Costs consistently exceed funding.
Throughout the state, school districts consistently spend more money on salaries and benefits than what they are getting in new state revenues. To be fair, some things are clearly out of a district's control. There are federal mandates for special education services, but the federal government did not directly fund these services that school districts are required to provide. As a medical Mecca, Rochester has more students who have medical problems or other needs that make this district's special education costs unusually high. Rochester also has an unusually high number of new immigrants, many of whom require additional services.