The New Ulm School District is more than $420 below the state average in cost-per pupil unit in education, according to a report released by the state Department of Education Monday.

The report listed the state average cost per pupil-unit in 1974-75 at $1,442,while the New Ulm-Hanska district spent $1,002 per pupil unit.

Business Manager John Paulson expressed surprise at the apparent discrepancy, but said he would rather not comment until he had seen the state report. It had not reached the District 88 office as of this morning.

“WE RUN A tight ship down here,” he said, “but I didn’t think it was that much.”

He said the difference may be due to computation methods. Paulson does his own for the New Ulm schools.

The state report cited a 15 per cent increase statewide in the cost of education. Previous average cost per pupil-unit was $1,248 for 1973-74.

Paulson said he did not yet know what the corresponding figure would be for the New Ulm district.

“I know it’s up, but I can’t relate the exact figure,” he said. “If you’re going to make a comparison it’s best to go by the state report.”

For state aid purposes, a kindergarten youngster is counted as one-pupil unit, while first through sixth graders are counted as one pupil unit and junior and senior high youngsters are each counted as 1.4 pupil units.

The highest cost school district in the state was Motley, a Morrison County community of 350 persons in northern Minnesota.

The Minneapolis district,largest in the state, ranked 13th with a figure of $2,143.

District 88 fell in the middle of five other area school districts in cost per pupil-unit, according to the state report.

In 1974-75, Nicollet spent $1,073,Sleepy Eye $1,035,Winthrop $958 and Arlington-Green Isle $842.

New Ulm Daily Journal

April 18, 1976