Arizona school districts and charters that pay teachers the most, least
Arizona is Building Tiny Homes for Teachers Instead of Paying Them a Living Wage | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-ktP via @dianeravitch
The highest-paying Arizona school district will be paying its teachers an average of nearly $71,000 in the 2018-19 school year, while teachers in some schools will be making just over an average of $30,000.
That wide range of average teacher salaries is reflected in financial data district and charter schools have reported to the Arizona Department of Education.
The state budget the Legislature approved and Gov. Doug Ducey signed included $306 million intended for teacher pay as part of the governor's promise to boost teachers' salaries by 20 percent in three years.
Practically every district and charter school gave its teachers raises, but those bumps varied widely.
Districts reported giving average teacher-salary increases between $1,049 and $9,162. Charters' average increases varied between $1,011 and $7,694.
Similarly, the state's financial data show that 15 of the top 20 school systems for average teacher salary are school districts, while all but one of the 20 lowest-paying Arizona school systems were charter holders.
Eight school districts and two charter holders were among the top 10 in the state to give the largest average teacher pay raise increases this year.
Arizona public schools, for the first time, are required to report to the Arizona Department of Education the increase in average teacher salaries from last school year.
Below are the Arizona district and charter schools with the highest and lowest teacher pay.
Some disclaimers: Not all schools have submitted budgets to the Arizona Department of Education. The department has not yet audited the data the schools submitted.
And the data indicate that some schools incorrectly reported their teacher salary information to the state.
The Republic did not include schools that appeared to include errors in its financial reporting. These lists also do not include schools that listed average salaries below $30,000.
Highest-paying Arizona school districts
1. Chinle Unified School District: $70,720 average 2018-19 teacher salary
2. Baboquivari Unified School District: $66,505
3. Alpine Elementary School District: $65,369
4. Phoenix Union High School District: $64,218
5. Tempe Union High School District: $61,266
Lowest-paying Arizona school districts
1. St. David Unified School District: $36,404 average 2018-19 teacher salary
2. Douglas Unified School District: $37,413
3. Red Rock Elementary School District: $37,602
4. Duncan Unified School District: $37,660
5. Crown King Elementary School District: $38,000
Highest paying Arizona charter schools
1. Heritage Academy, Inc.: $60,598 average 2018-19 teacher salary
2. Maricopa County Community College District dba Gateway Early College High School: $58,204
3. International Commerce Secondary Schools Inc.: $58,127
4. Heritage Academy Queen Creek Inc.: $57,693
5. Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community Schools: $57,547
Lowest paying Arizona charter schools
1. Pillar Charter School: $30,287 average 2018-19 teacher salary
2. Patagonia Montessori Elementary School: $31,650
3. Painted Pony Ranch Charter School: $32,100
4. Discovery Plus Academy: $32,275
5. Mexicayotl Academy Inc.: $32,364
Largest average pay raise increases
1. Chinle Unified School District: $9,162 increase in average salary (15 percent increase)
2. Casa Grande Union High School District: $9,131 (18 percent)
3. Sahuarita Unified School District: $8,801 (19 percent)
4. Agua Fria Union High School District: $8,085 (16 percent)
5. Destiny School Inc.: $7,694 (21.9 percent)
6. Tempe Union High School District: $7,549 (14 percent)
7. Wellton Elementary School District: $7,407 (19 percent)
8. Antelope Union High School District: $7,296 (18 percent)
9. Heber-Overgaard Unified School District: $7,090 (17 percent)
10. Young Scholars Academy Charter School Corp.: $6,978 (14.4 percent)
READ MORE:
- Ducey: Arizona's #RedForEd school walkout 'was never about teacher pay'
- Allhands: Arizona teacher pay could reach $63,000 by 2020 - if you're an optimist
- Voters could have say on education funding, teacher pay
