What’s Considered Classroom Spending in AZ–Take a Look
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What’s Considered Classroom Spending in Arizona – Take a Look
A new report has been released by the Arizona Auditor General “Arizona Public School Districts’ Dollars Spent in the Classroom Fiscal Year 2008.”
The report says that the percentage of funds used in the classroom is down to 57.3% (from 57.7 percent in fiscal year 2001). The spin on this report is that Arizona is wasting the rest of this money. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
1) Look at what expenses are considered classroom and non-classroom. (i)
- Classroom dollars (57.3% of spending) include only classroom personnel (teachers in classroom & aids), general instructional supplies (paper, pencils, etc), instructional aides (textbooks, workbooks, software)& activities (field trips, athletics, choir & band)
- Non-classroom Dollars include; administration (superintendents, principals, clerical and other staff), Food service (cost of preparing & serving meals), transportation, instructional staff support services (librarians, teacher training, curriculum development) & student support services (counselors, audiologists, speech pathologists & nurses)
2) The report states that classroom spending is down because costs of student support services is up. The report looks discounts inflation as an issue and maintains that contracting of employees may make a difference. While the report admits that student make-up (poverty rates) may be an issue they fail to point out that:
- In Arizona 18.9% of AZ school age children live in poverty (U.S. national average is 17%). This means they need more support. (ii)
- Arizona also has a high proportion of English Language Learners – which also requires additional teaching staff
3) The report fails to point out that administrative expenses actually dropped last year from 9.5% in 2007 to 9.2% in 2008.
- The U.S. national Average for administrative expenses was 11.0% (iii)
4) In making the case that districts are using the Proposition 301 money to replace rather than enhance teacher salaries the report fails to point out other costs and cuts that have influenced the percentage of dollars dedicated to classroom funding. Consider:
- The state has cut “soft capital” which has forced district cuts to general instructional supplies (paper, pencils, etc) instructional aides (textbooks, workbooks, software)& activities (field trips, athletics, choir & band) – all these are components of “classroom spending”
- The state has mandated separate classes for English Language Learners (ELL) without any funding. These teachers have to be paid for by the districts but the teachers are considered “non-classroom spending.”
We hope the information we have pointed out will give you a better understanding the current state of classroom spending.
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(i): Definitions found in the Appendix C of the report: http://www.auditorgen.state.az.us/Reports/School_Districts/Statewide/2009_February/Classroom_Dollars_FY08_No_Districts.pdf
(ii): This was a main reason pointed out in last year’s report, page 13 http://www.auditorgen.state.az.us/Reports/School_Districts/Statewide/2008_February/Classroom_Dollars_FY07_No_Districts.pdf
(iii): http://www.auditorgen.state.az.us/Reports/School_Districts/Statewide/2008_February/Classroom_Dollars_FY07_No_Districts.pdf pages 19 & 23