Page 29 - The Edge Back to School 2022

SUMMER CONFERENCE AND EXPO

BY DON HARRIS
Michael Griffith
How Does Arizona Stack Up in Funding,

Teacher Salaries, Class Sizes?

Even with substantial financial increases Arizona one had specific services or programs they had
public schools have received, the state still ranks to fund.”
below national averages in a number of key areas.
That basically was the good news/bad news Another factor is being able to handle changes in
message of Michael Griffith, Senior Researcher the way that educational services are delivered,
and Policy Analyst, Learning Policy Institute. such as going online during the pandemic, he
At the closing session of AASBO’s Summer said. Regarding predictability, it’s important
Conference and Expo, Griffith discussed the that administrators can easily understand how
elements of a quality school funding system, changes in their student enrollment will impact
how Arizona stacks up nationally, and how the their funding.
expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship
Account (ESA) program could impact education Where does Arizona rank in per pupil spending
funding in Arizona. nationally and with neighboring states? For
this past school year based on average daily
A high quality system means funding is sufficient attendance, Arizona was at $11,599, just 72% of
to meet current state education requirements for all the national average of $16,022. New Mexico
students, including seat time, the school calendar had been close to Arizona, but the state put a lot
year, course offerings, class sizes, one-to-one of money into education a few years ago, pushing
computers, and any other mandates, Griffith said. its per student total to $16,404 – nearly $400
Also considered are test scores, graduation rates, more than the national average.
and going-to-college rates
On teacher salaries, Arizona is at $54,580, 82%
“So, is your funding sufficient to meet all those?” of the national average. Griffith noted that
said Griffith, who has been in school finance Arizona “put a real effort into taking money
for 30 years. “In most states, we have no idea – you have and putting it into teacher salaries
there is no connection between state education – that’s commendable.” Even adjusted for
mandates and state education funding.” That inflation, Arizona trails the national average
includes Arizona, he said. and neighboring states of California, Utah, New
Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada, Griffith said.
On flexibility, Griffith said, “Districts should
have the ability to move money around for what But Arizona has the highest pupil/teacher ratio of
you need. Targeting money for a specific use is 23.5, Griffith said. “That tells me the state made
not wrong, but can get carried away. At one time, a decision to have larger class sizes but higher
California had 90 different pots of money. Each paid teachers,” he said. “Whenever I talk about

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