Gilbert school districts spend more on instruction than state average

By Tom Blodgett
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Instructional spending went up more than $650 per student in each of the three school districts serving Gilbert, but as a percentage of overall budget, it is down to its lowest levels in two districts. 

Those numbers are according to the Arizona Auditor General’s annual school spending analysis for fiscal year 2022-23. 

In all three cases, the percentage is still above the state average. The state average was $6,253 per student, up $407 dollars from fiscal year 2022-23. But as percentage of budget, it was 53.4%, down from 54.5% the previous year and the lowest the office has recorded for the state. 

Gilbert Public School’s instructional spending was up $915 to $6,600, but the percentage fell to 58.9%, down 0.7%.  

Chandler Unified School District’s instructional spending increased $653 to $6,439 while percentage fell 0.5% to 57.7%. 

However, Higley Unified School District’s percentage went up 0.8% to 60.7% on a real-dollars increase of $661 to $5,975 per student. 

Overall classroom spending also was up in real dollars for all three districts, but down slightly for Gilbert Public School by 0.8% to 73.3%, the highest of the three districts. Chandler and Higley were at 72.6%, but Chandler’s was down 0.2% to get there while Higley was up 4.2%. 

Classroom spending encompasses student support and instructional support in addition to instructional spending. 

In measuring operational efficiency, the auditor general’s report compared each district’s spending to its peers. 

Gilbert Public Schools’ administration spending was rated low, as was its plant operations and its transportation spending per mile, but its food service cost per meal was rated high. 

Higley’s spending was rated low in plant operations and very low in administration, food service and transportation spending per mile and per rider. 

Chandler USD was rated low on administration spending and very low on food service but high on plant operations and transportation spending per mile. 

The report also included average teacher salary data:  

• State: $62,934; 
• Gilbert Public Schools: $62,870; 
• Higley USD: $66,796; 
• Chandler USD: $70,845. 

We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on X. 

Tom Blodgett
Senior News Editor | Gilbert

tblodgett@iniusa.org

Meet Tom
Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.

Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.

Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism. 

Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.  

Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).