Report Says Spending In California Classrooms Dropped As Overall K-12 Funding Rose

The AP (7/22, Thompson) reports that a report released Wednesday by Pepperdine University shows that "spending in California classrooms declined as a percentage of total education spending over a recent five-year period, even as total school funding increased." Overall "K-12 spending increased...from $45.6 billion to $55.6 billion statewide" in the five-year period ending June 30, 2009. This was "before budget cuts led to nearly 16,000 teachers losing their jobs for the 2009-10 school year." The study found that school "administrators, clerks and technical staff" received "more of the funding increase," while less of the money went toward teachers, aides, and classroom materials.