This article really excuses a lot of the bad management in the district. Read the performance audit done by the Arizona Auditor General for TUSD. It reports overcompensating and overstaffing admin and terrible management throughout the district in many ways. It operates far too many schools way below capacity, which dilutes the dollars that go to classrooms. The school operates twice as many schools as Chandler district does yet has slightly less students. (Note: Chandler has very similar statistics like revenue per student and other stats. Because Chandler operates more efficiently, it can pay its teachers 10% more than Tucson.) The competition from charters and neighboring districts wouldn't have such a negative impact on Tucson's enrollment if Tucson had taken steps to compete more effectively and keep students. Like many districts, TUSD was arrogant enough to think their competitive advantage of being the closest school and most convenient for parents would keep students coming. Wrong. They need to step up their game! They need to close schools and put more money in the classrooms instead of in admin and half-vacant buildings.
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