AZ Auditor General's Report on Classroom Dollar Spending

The Arizona Office of the Auditor General recently released a report on the percentage of dollar spent on classroom costs. You can look up specific school districts and see how they compare to the national average. There is also information how many schools are in the district, the number of students in said district and the district's ranking within the 239 state school districts.

Comparative information includes the student/teacher ratio, the average teacher's salary, and a teacher's average years experience.

Interesting reading from the report:

• In fiscal year 2007, Arizona’s state-wide percentage of dollars spent in the classroom decreased for the third consecutive year to 57.9 percent and remains more than 3 percentage points below the national average. More than half of the school districts’ classroom dollar percentages declined in 2007, but the biggest impact on the state average came from declines in the very large districts. With the infusion over the past several years of significant state-provided resources largely directed to the classroom, the State’s classroom dollar percentage could have been higher, but districts appear to be using these monies to supplant other monies, a violation of A.R.S. §15-977.

• Compared with the national average, Arizona districts spent a larger portion of their current dollars on student support services, plant operation and maintenance, and food service. However, on a positive note, Arizona districts spent much less on administration.