Audit: State school districts see drop in classroom spending

PHOENIX (AP) - State auditors say Arizona school districts’ spending on classroom expenses such as a teacher pay has dropped, but school officials say the audit’s findings don’t show the entire picture.

According to the audit released Wednesday by the Arizona Office of the Auditor General, school districts spent 53.5 percent of their operating dollars on the classroom, a 0.1 percent drop from last year, The Arizona Republic reported (https://bit.ly/2mPJkv7).

The 2015-16 school year marked the lowest point in classroom spending since the state began tracking the figure in 2001.

The report also noted that classroom spending has been trending down since 2004 and represents more than $2.4 billion not being spent in classrooms over 14 years. The audit found that the trend of decreasing classroom spending continues in tight budget years and years of increased spending overall.

“Since its peak in fiscal year 2004, the state’s classroom dollar percentage has declined 5.1 percentage points, while the percentage of available operating dollars spent in all other operational areas (which includes administration, instructional support and transportation) has increased,” the audit states.

The audit contradicts a report released earlier this week by the Arizona School Boards Association that suggested student-related spending has been going up.

The audit looked specifically at classroom spending, which it defined as salaries and benefits for teachers and aides, as well as costs related to instructional supplies.

The ASBA report accounted for student support services and teacher training in addition to supply costs and salaries and benefits. That report found the districts spend about 62 percent of their operating dollars last year on those areas, an increase from 61.4 percent the year before.

Chuck Essigs, lobbyist for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, said the state’s report is inaccurate since it defines classroom spending so narrowly.

“It’s a totally different picture when you look at the other services being provided,” he said.

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Information from: The Arizona Republic, https://www.azcentral.com