Funding Arizona’s Classrooms

Can you guess how much Arizona spends per class?

By now, it’s no surprise that Arizona ranks low in its education investment. A December 2013 report from ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy sheds further light on Arizona’s education spending and how it compares to other states.

In fiscal year 2011, the state spent an average of $166,609 per classroom to rank 31^st in the country, according to the report. The national average? $193,329. “By comparison, Arizona is 47^th in per-pupil revenue,” the report says.

Other numbers of note:

• $8.4 billion: Amount spent on K-12 education in Arizona


• $8,806: Arizona spending per pupil in Arizona


• $12,411: National spending average per pupil


• 20%: Percent of total Arizona budget spent on K-12 education


• 20%: National average of state budget spent on K-12 education


• 17%: Arizona spends less on education than the national average when adjusted for statewide wealth

What does this mean for Arizona teachers? Low salaries, extra hours, crowded classrooms, and tons of teaching vacancies — 1,200 as of Dec. 1. Tomorrow, head over to Centered for the Arizona K12 Center’s Kathy Wiebke’s, Ph.D., perspective on the current state of Arizona’s educational landscape.