The minimum wage increase is set to take it's toll on school districts across the state.
Arizona school districts estimate the new spike will cost them a combined $11.5 dollars over the next six months and most of that money will pay wages of employees outside the classroom
Teachers already earn more than the $10 per hour minimum that began in January. However, many schools employ janitors, bus drivers and cafeteria workers who received raises. The cost of raising the minimum wage and providing paid sick days for those workers is so high, that school leaders are now asking for additional state funding to alleviate it.
What makes things more complicated is that the state did not include funds to cover a possible minimum wage hike. Therefore, school officials expect the amount of money being spent on classrooms to be less than what it would be without it.
According to officials, since the minimum wage will increase incrementally to $12 by 2020, it will create even more costs each of the next few years.
