It’s that time of year again. The envelope arrived this week and it’s time to approve spending on the public education system. This year I am voting no.

Looking at the numbers as reported by State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Cheney School District is spending $12,604 per year per student. A lot of money. However, when I divide the annual school budget of $88.7 million (Cheney Free Press, 7/02/20) , by the 5,103 students in the district, per student cost is around $17,300.

Why does the state say we pay only $12,604 when the budget is $88.7 million? It appears that they use...