Page 38 - The Edge - Spring 2016

“The governor’s interest is really, as we’re adding additional dollars that
parents have an expectation that they’re going to see better performance for

their kids and better academics for their kids. The interest is how do we use
the dollars going in to best achieve that. That might be different from school

to school, based on their needs and their particular challenges.”

— Daniel Scarpinato, press aide to Gov. Doug Ducey

“It doesn’t include counselors, it doesn’t include nurses,
PERCENTAGE OF MONEY SPENT ON INSTRUCTION it doesn’t include teacher training,” Essigs said. And he said
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32 those are equally a part of what schools need to do.
“If you’re a district that has a lot of children at risk and
Chuck Essigs, lobbyist for the Arizona Association of School you need counseling services, it makes you look like you’re
Business Officials, said it’s not surprising that classroom spending less (proportionately) on teaching kids,” Essigs said.
spending as a share of all dollars continues to decline. Tim Ogle, executive director of the Arizona School Boards
“If you’re really low spending in your state, it still costs Association, said the trend in the report is not surprising. He
you money to fix your roofs,” he said. “It costs you money said it is a direct result of inadequate state funding.
to heat your buildings, cool your buildings, pay for the lights And Ogle said it shows the importance of voters approving
and everything, whether you’re in a state that spends a lot of Proposition 123 in May. If that passes it clears the way for an
money on education or a very low amount.” extra $3.5 billion to be put into schools in the next decade.
Put simply, Essigs said if some costs remain fixed, the only “Our teachers are underpaid and our classrooms are too
place for schools to trim when state funding runs short is on big,” he said.
the instructional side. What that also leads to is a shortage of qualified teachers.
But Vicki Hanson, who manages the audit, said the numbers Ogle said schools fill the gap with substitutes who are paid less
don’t back that up. than trained professionals, a move that in turn means fewer
“If costs were fixed, during the years where districts got dollars spent in the classroom.
more money, we would have seen the classroom dollar Daniel Scarpinato, press aide to Gov. Doug Ducey, said the
percentage go up,” she said. “But it didn’t.” report underscores “the very real need for more total dollars to
Hanson acknowledged Arizona schools, on average, spend our schools.” He said that’s exactly what parents, teachers and
far less than the national average on all operational expenses. administrators told his boss when he visited schools last year.
The figure here is $7,658 per pupil; the comparable average is “That’s what the plan that was passed in the special session
$10,763. does,” Scarpinato said, referring to what is going to voters in
“But the question is, why does that lower spending need to May. He also said the governor’s Classrooms First Council is
come from the classroom,” she asked. focused on the same goal.
There is an effect of that section of the budget being the “There’s a need to increase the pie,” Scarpinato said, rather
place that’s squeezed. than simply arguing over how the limited funds should be
Between 2004 and 2015, the average teacher salary, adjusted used.
for inflation, decreased 8 percent despite the average years of He said, though, Ducey wants to focus on more than just
experience staying about the same. And just in the past five the amount of cash provided to schools..
years, the statewide annual teacher salary decreased from “The governor’s interest is really, as we’re adding additional
$47,077 to $46,008 despite a 4 percent increase in average dollars that parents have an expectation that they’re going to
years of teacher experience. see better performance for their kids and better academics for
And during the same time, the average number of students their kids,” Scarpinato said.
per teacher increased from 17.9 to 18.6. “The interest is how do we use the dollars going in to best
Essigs said that 53.6-cent figure on classroom spending is achieve that,” he continued. “That might be different from
misleading. He said it’s “very narrow,” including only teacher school to school, based on their needs and their particular
salaries and supplies. challenges.”

THE EDGE | SPRING 2016
38 THE EDGE