sa国际传媒官网网页入口

The sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Public Schools is set to spend more than ever despite an enrollment decline of more than 20,000 students over the past decade after its budget for the upcoming school year was approved Wednesday.

The district鈥檚 Board of Education approved a for the upcoming school year on a unanimous vote, marking a roughly $104 million increase from the previous year and topping the $2.16 billion approved for the 2023-24 school year, which previously held the record for APS鈥� largest budget.

鈥淚 really have to give credit to our budget team, primarily for getting this work done at the same time as schools were planning, and I think it鈥檚 one of the first times I鈥檝e seen that really work in conjunction,鈥� APS Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said during Wednesday鈥檚 board meeting. 鈥淚 think this might be the earliest we鈥檝e ever submitted a budget to the Public Education Department.鈥�

The budget now goes to the PED for approval.

Operational costs, which cover day-to-day needs such as teacher and faculty salaries, supplies and the costs to operate schools, accounted for $1.08 billion 鈥� nearly half the budget. Capital outlay, covering construction and building maintenance costs, is allocated some $660 million, the second-highest expense in the budget.

鈥淛ust like for families, inflation has also hit school districts,鈥� Mandi Torrez, education reform director for the self-described nonpartisan think tank , told the Journal. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a bad thing when budgets see a growth to meet those needs, because the last thing anyone wants to see are essential student services like counseling or special education support being cut to make up that difference.鈥�

The cost per pupil is jumping from around $32,000 during the 2024-25 school year to $35,000 for the upcoming year as the district faces a and projects student enrollment below 65,000. But that deficit is covered by reserve funds, according to the district.

鈥淭he budget has continued, as it has in recent years, to be bloated. They鈥檙e still not delivering the outcomes that students need, the quality of education, which is the primary objective of the existence of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Public Schools,鈥� Patrick Brenner, of the Libertarian think tank Southwest Public Policy Institute, said. 鈥淪tudents continue to leave, enrollment is down, they鈥檙e educating less students for more than ever before.鈥�

While APS since the pandemic, the trend isn鈥檛 out of line with districts across the country. Since the pandemic, enrollment in U.S. public schools has gone from 50.8 million in 2019 to 49.6 million in 2025.

鈥淥ne question to ask is if student enrollment is declining, are districts in turn decreasing their administration numbers?鈥� Torrez said. 鈥淪o getting as many dollars down to the classroom level, where daily instruction takes place, should be a priority.鈥�