Every year, public school districts in Arizona must create an Annual Financial Report of the district's budgeted versus actual spending for the Arizona Department of Education.
Tucson Unified School District's Chief financial Officer Ricky Hernandez presented the report to the Governing Board.
Compared to the $720 million the district budgeted for, TUSD spent $650 million in the fiscal year of 2024, which ended in June.
"About 91% of our budget was spent according to the various activities authorized in those funds," Hernandez said.
The report showed that TUSD overspent their Federal and State
by over 20 million, but Hernandez says the deficit on State and Federal grants will be reimbursed this fiscal year.
2024 was the final year TUSD received Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, funds, which is a federal program designed to ease the effects of COVID-19. TUSD spent all but a little less than $62,00 of the $172.9 million. The remainder will go to the Arizona Department of Education.
Classroom spending , which is what most students notice day-to-day, will be audited by the Auditor General in the spring of 2025. Hernandez he's projecting less money spent on instructional support.
“But that is offset by the fact that we’ve increased student support and instruction support,” Hernandez said.
See the school School-Level Report here.
See the full Annual Financial Report here.
