Few people have the time to comb through all the sources and data on the state’s education funding. Yet the information is valuable for parents and taxpayers who care about how funding is allocated. School Directors and lawmakers also benefit from understanding this data.
For each of these five facts, you can link to the sources as well as specific financial data for individual districts.
1. Statewide average state, local and federal operating funds per pupil, 2012-2013
|
Fund Source |
2012-13 |
|
|
Local Taxes (levies) |
$1,935 |
$2,014 |
|
Local Non-tax |
$331 |
$335 |
|
State General Apportionment |
$5,320 |
$5,348 |
|
State Special Purpose |
$1,202 |
$1,235 |
|
Federal General purpose |
$54 |
$52 |
|
Federal Special purpose (poverty, special education) |
$885 |
$837 |
|
Other |
$88 |
$99 |
|
Total ($9,760 in 2010-2011 and $9,754 in 2009-2010) |
$9,816 |
$9,920 |
Source:
- Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, School Apportionment & Financial Services, Percent and Per Pupil of General Fund Revenues and Other Financing Sources by County, Fiscal Year 12012-13.
2. Funding per pupil from all funds, both operating and capital
|
Year |
Total |
|
$12,597 |
|
|
$12,812 |
|
|
$13,098 |
|
|
12-13 |
$13,740 |
Source:
- Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, School Apportionment & Financial Services Financial Reporting Summary 2012-2013, Table Eight
3. Average Statewide Compensation
|
Certificated Instructional Employees |
2012-13 |
|
|
Average state-paid certificated instructional employee salary per FTE |
$52,260 |
$52,256 |
|
Levy-funded additional salary per FTE |
$11,978 |
$12,402 |
|
Insurance benefits per FTE (health benefits $768 per month) |
$9,522 |
$9,522 |
|
Mandatory benefits (social security, etc.) |
$9,608 |
$9,763 |
|
Total average compensation package (not including mandatory benefits) |
$73,760 |
$74,180 |
|
Administrators |
|
|
|
State actual allocation by district 2012-2015 |
|
|
|
Average wage, benefits, additional salary per individual |
||
|
Classified Employees |
|
|
|
State actual allocation by district 2-12-2015 |
|
|
|
Average wage, benefits, additional salary per individual |
|
Sources:
- School District Personnel Summary Reports 2012-2013, Table Nineteen.
- Organizing and Financing of Washington Public Schools 2013, Pg. 68.
- School District Expenditures of Levy and Levy Equalization Resources Amounts and Purposes for the 2008-09 School Year, Slide 30, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction K-12 Financial Resources.
- ”How Much TRI Pay Can All Basic Education Teachers Earn?”, Technical Advisory Committee to the Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance, July 21, 2008.
- Actual school employee salaries 2012-2013, including both state-funded wages and levy-funded wage enhancements as reported by OSPI.
4. Staff-per-Student Ratios Statewide
|
|
2012-13 |
|
|
Students per teacher |
18.65 |
18.52 |
|
Students per aide |
98.91 |
99.10 |
Source:
- OSPI, School Apportionment & Financial Services, School District, Personnel Summary Profiles 2021–2013 – Final (ratios for each district)
5. Local School Levies
|
|
2013 |
|
|
Statewide average excess general fund (operating) levy rate per $1,000 for schools (increased from $2.35 the prior year) |
$2.54 |
$2.74 |
|
Statewide total levy (general, debt service, transportation & capital) rate per $1,000 assessed value |
$4.12 |
$4.44 |
|
Statewide average excess general fund levy funds per student |
$2,014 |
$2,089 |
Source:
Previous years:
Other Resources:
- Score, graduation rates and demographic data for each district and school
- State Accountability Index listing districts’ scores on key factors
- Persistently lowest achieving school lists, 2012-2013
- Student enrollment trends by district 2008-2009 through 2011-2012
- Collective Bargaining Agreements for many schools
- Which WA districts get the best results for the least funds? Select “Washington” and see at the Center for American Progress website regarding Return on Educational Investment
