by David Safier
On Arizona Illustrated, Vic Williams, who represents the Amphi School District — and claims to be pro public schools — said Amphi spends 47% of its funds on administration:
"Having 47 cents of every dollar being used in administration in Amphi .
. . is something that's unacceptable."
That's wrong on so many levels. Even the Goldwater Institute, the originator of the false — not misleading, false — statement that Arizona school districts have "an almost 1-to-1 teacher to bureaucrat ratio" stopped short of saying Bus Drivers are Administrators. Bureaucrats yes (cue laughter), but administrators, maybe that's going a bit too far.
Amphi School District caught wind of Williams' "incorrect information" and issued a stinging rebuttal, saying, among other things, Amphi spends less than 8% on administration:
Recently, one of our local representatives has been providing incorrect information as well as speaking negatively about the Amphitheater District's administrative costs.
Attached please find the accurate information from the Arizona Auditor General's 2009 and 2008 Dollars to the Classroom Reports.
As noted in the 2009 Five Year Trend summary of the 2009 Arizona Auditor General’s Dollars to The Classroom Report for AMPHITHEATER:
The total spending per pupil increased by 44 percent. Spending in the classroom increased overall from 56.7 to 58.5 percent. Spending on student and instruction support also increased, while spending on administration and plant operations decreased.
Please notice that the Amphitheater administrative costs are below 8% each year.
According to attachment from the district, Amphi's administrative costs are 1.3% lower than the state average.
Oops.
Two thoughts.
First, Vic Williams owes Amphi, whose parents represent a sizable chunk of his LD-26 constituents, a formal, public apology.
Second, Williams' gaffe definitely rises to the level of Bodfield's Political Notebook. Whether it ends up there is another matter. [Note to Bodfield: Rep Nancy Young Wright used to serve on the Amphi School Board. Could Williams have a political motive in trashing the district?]