Total spending per pupil has increased in the Snowflake School District, according to a report received from the office of the Auditor General.

“Spending in the classroom remained fairly stable, but increased slightly from 58.4 to 59.3 percent,” stated the report. It further stated that spending decreased on plant operations, while spending in other non-classroom areas remained fairly stable.

Operation efficiency is broken into spending by function, and shows 59.3 percent spent in the classroom, 8.5 percent for administration, 11.6 percent for plant operations, 4.1 percent for food service, 5.6 percent for transportation, 8.8 percent for student support and 2.1 percent for instruction support.

The district is below state average and peer group (districts of similar size) in administration and plant operation, but the $2.61 cost per meal is higher than the state average of $2.41 and peer average of $2.53, and transportation costs are very high at $3.69 per mile compared to the state average of $3.35 and the peer average of $2.94.

Student achievement and teacher information are higher at SUSD than the peer group and state averages for math, while reading is approximately the same as statewide and approximately two percent lower than peer group.

The district’s attendance rate is 93 percent, just one percent lower than peer average and state average. The 2009 graduation rate was much higher at 92 percent than peer average at 80 percent and state average at 76 percent. The student ratio is 20.3 in the Snowflake district, which is higher than the 17.9 state and peer averages. Teacher salaries are lower at $40,283, compared to the $42,418 peer average and $47,077 state average. The district has a lower percentage of teachers in the first three years at 11 percent compared to the peer average of 18 percent and the state average of 20 percent. On average, each teacher earned $3,687 in additional pay, and each librarian and counselor earned between $2,293 and $3,655 from Proposition 301 funds.

The report showed that when compared to the state and peer groups, the Snowflake School District is doing very well in all classes except transportation. Superintendent Hollis Merrell stated that they are looking into contracted transportation services.