THE VOICE OF THE EAST VALLEY SINCE 1891 AND WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING
Mesa gives ASU THE SUNDAY Ritzy trailers new downtown EAST VALLEY bring ‘glamping’ school deal to Queen Creek PAGE 8
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Sunday, March 11, 2018
Classroom spending up in most EV districts BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services AND PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor
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lassroom spending per pupil in most East Valley school districts last school year exceeded both the averages for districts their size and the state as a whole, according to the Arizona Auditor General. The AG’s latest annual report also shows that most East Valley districts’ per-pupil spending in administration costs last year was well below the same averages. But there were exceptions in the region, according to the AG’s report: When it came to per-pupil spending, Higley’s $3,865 was below both the aver-
age $4,035 spent by districts its size and the statewide average of $4,377. Per-pupil administrative costs in both Tempe Elementary and Tempe Union High School districts were higher than the averages for districts their size and all school districts combined. On the other hand, the average per-pupil spending on instruction by both Tempe Elementary and Tempe Union exceeded the averages for districts their size as well as the state. Tempe Elementary’s per-pupil cost of administration was $901 – topping both the $844 state average and the $763 average spent by similarly sized districts. Tempe Elementary’s per-pupil expenditure for instruction was the highest among all East Valley districts at $4,700.
Legislators question private projects built at ASU BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
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wo developments on Arizona State University property have drawn the ire of some legislators after the university initially failed to report the projects to them. The projects – the 266-unit Mirabella senior living facility and an Omni hotel and convention center – are planned to be built on ASU property at the corner of Mill Avenue and University Drive in Tempe. ASU presented the projects to the Joint Committee on Capital Review at a meeting on Dec. 17, 2017, though some legislators questioned why the presentation had not occurred sooner. Under a law passed in 2006, certain privately funded projects on university land must be brought before the committee for review, according to a report prepared for the JCCR. ASU previously had argued that Mira-
bella did not qualify for review under this statute because a 2007 law revised the rules to stipulate that projects not serving a university population are not subject to review. However, A.R.S. § 15-1682.02 states, in part, that for projects serving a non-university population, the uniSee
ASU on page 7
(Special to the Tribune)
The Mirabella facility will consist of a 20-story north tower and a 13-story south tower and feature a lecture hall and 10,000-squarefoot multipurpose room.
It also topped all districts in the region for the total cost of educating one student – $11,299. That includes all expenditures, from transportation to maintenance. Tempe Union’s administrative costs per pupil of $898 were higher than the average $796 spent by districts its size and above the statewide average. But its perpupil spending on instruction per pupil of $4,338 beat the average $4,035 spent by districts its size and the statewide average. Asked about the district’s per-pupil administrative costs, Tempe Union spokeswoman Jennifer Liewer said: “There are many factors that go into calculating administrative averages. TUHSD actually has less administrators per student See
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