Arizona public school districts' dollars spent in the classroom. In November 2000, voters approved Proposition 301, which increased the State’s sales tax from 5 percent to 5.6 percent to provide additional money for educational programs. The enabling legislation for Proposition 301 requires the Auditor General to “. . . monitor school districts to determine the percentage of every dollar spent in the classroom by a school district.” This report presents our analysis of the percentage of dollars spent in the classroom for the most recently completed school year.

In fiscal year 2011, Chino Valley Unified School District’s student achievement was similar to peer district and state averages, and its operational efficiencies were mixed with some costs higher and some costs lower than peer districts’ averages. The District’s per-pupil administrative costs were slightly higher than peer districts’ because the District employed more administrative positions per pupil. The District’s plant operations, food service, and transportation programs operated reasonably efficiently, with cost measures such as cost per square foot, cost per meal, and cost per mile that were similar to or lower than peer districts’ averages. However, the District needs to improve controls over access to critical information systems and strengthen controls over its fuel purchase cards.

In fiscal year 2012, Duncan Unified School District’s student achievement was similar to peer districts’, and the District operated efficiently overall. Although the District’s administrative costs per pupil were slightly higher than the peer districts’ average, the District has taken steps to reduce its costs by reducing its number of administrative positions. The District’s plant operations, food service, and transportation programs were efficient with lower costs per square foot, per meal, and per mile, respectively, than peer districts’ averages. However, the District needs to improve its purchasing and computer controls. The District also needs to accurately determine, and report to the Arizona Department of Education, its ridership information to help ensure the District is properly funded and to allow it the ability to calculate and monitor transportation performance measures such as cost per rider and bus capacity utilization. Further, the District should ensure that its inmate worker documentation complies with statute.

In fiscal year 2012, Fowler Elementary School District’s student achievement was slightly higher than the peer districts’ averages, and the District operated efficiently. The District’s administrative cost per pupil was similar to the peer districts’ average, and it employed proper accounting and computer controls. The District’s plant operations costs per pupil and per square foot were lower than the peer districts’ averages primarily because of lower energy costs. Additionally, the District’s food service cost per meal was lower than the peer districts’ average, and the program was self-sufficient, in part, because the District paid the vendor that ran its program lower administrative and management fees than peer districts, on average. Further, the District’s transportation program was efficient, with lower costs per mile and per rider and efficient bus routes. However, the District did not accurately report its number of riders transported, which resulted in substantial overfunding for fiscal years 2011 through 2014.

In fiscal year 2012, Isaac Elementary School District’s student achievement was similar to peer district averages, and the District’s operational efficiencies were mixed, with much higher administrative and plant operations costs than peer districts’ averages but lower food service costs. Between fiscal years 2007 and 2012, the District decreased its classroom spending while it increased nonclassroom spending, primarily for administration and plant operations. At the end of fiscal year 2011, the District closed two schools to reduce costs, but its administrative and plant operations costs remained high, partly because of higher staffing levels. The District’s transportation program operated efficient bus routes but had much higher costs per mile and per rider than peer districts’, partly because it operated a smaller program but also because it offered more generous benefits. Finally, the District lacked adequate controls over user access to its computer network and systems.

In fiscal year 2012, Salome Consolidated Elementary School District’s student AIMS scores were lower than peer districts’ averages in three of four areas tested—math, reading, and science. Although the District’s per pupil costs were high in some operational areas, the District was reasonably efficient overall. The District’s administrative operations were reasonably efficient, but it lacked adequate controls over its payroll, purchasing, cash collections, and computer network and systems. The District’s plant operations were also reasonably efficient, and its food service costs were lower per meal than peer districts’ averages, but it had to subsidize its food service program, in part, because of its participation in a special National School Lunch Program provision. The District’s transportation program was also reasonably efficient with higher costs per mile but lower costs per rider. However, the District needs to improve controls over its fuel inventory and ensure that its bus drivers meet all certification requirements.

In fiscal year 2012, St. David Unified School District’s student achievement was much higher than peer districts’, on average, and the District was reasonably efficient in most operational areas. The District’s administrative costs were much lower than peer districts’, but the District lacked sufficient accounting and computer controls. The District’s plant operations and transportation program were reasonably efficient overall. However, the District needs to accurately determine and report to the Arizona Department of Education its bus ridership information to help ensure the District is properly funded and to allow it the ability to calculate and monitor rider-based transportation performance measures. The District’s food service program was inefficient, with a cost per meal that was much higher than the peer districts’ average primarily because of overstaffing and inefficient purchasing practices. As a result, the District spent $44,110 of its Maintenance and Operation Fund monies to subsidize the program.

In fiscal year 2011, Window Rock Unified School District’s student achievement was similar to peer districts’ averages overall, but the District operated inefficiently with much higher costs in most operational areas. The District’s per pupil administrative costs were much higher than peer districts’, and it lacked adequate controls over its vehicles, purchasing, cash handling, and computer systems. The District’s plant operations costs were also much higher than peer districts’ because the District maintained substantially more building space per student, which was likely not needed because Window Rock USD operated its schools far below their designed capacities. The District’s food service costs were higher than peer districts’ primarily because the District had high food supply costs, likely from not taking advantage of available federal food commodities. This resulted in the District having to subsidize the program with more than $108,000. Lastly, the District’s spending has shifted away from the classroom.

In fiscal year 2012, Winslow Unified School District’s student achievement was similar to peer districts’ averages, but its cost-efficiency in noninstructional areas was mixed. The District’s per pupil administrative costs were much higher than peer districts’, on average, primarily because it employed more administrative positions. The District’s plant costs were higher primarily because it maintained a large amount of excess school building space, which was likely not needed because most of the District’s schools operated far below their designed capacities. The District’s food service program operated with slightly higher costs that may have been a result of it not sufficiently overseeing the vendor operating the program. The District’s transportation program operated in a reasonably efficient manner, despite having higher costs per pupil, but the District needs to strengthen controls over fuel purchases.

In fiscal year 2011, Kingman Unified School District’s student achievement was similar to peer district averages, and it operated efficiently with lower costs than peer districts’, on average. The District operated its administration with lower per pupil costs because it employed fewer administrative staff per pupil than peer districts, on average. In addition, the District’s plant operations cost per square foot and food service cost per meal were lower than peer districts’ averages. The District’s transportation program cost per pupil was higher than the peer districts’ average, but the program was efficient, with lower per mile costs. However, the District should improve some of its administrative practices. In particular, the District should strengthen controls over its cash handling, culinary arts program, and computer network and systems.