Estimated Classroom Site Fund amount for next year [FY 2022]

The Joint Legislative Budget Committee [JLBC] has released the estimated Classroom Site Fund amount for next year.

The estimated amount for FY 2022 is $733 per weighted student count, an increase of $308.

The amount for this year [FY 2021] was $425 per weighted student count, but remember that number included $50 million of one time funding or $40 per weighted student count to help finance the 5% final year increase of the 20% teacher salary increase.

This funding that helped fund the final 5% of the teacher salary increase will be added to the Base Level calculation for next year [FY 2022].

Also, the Classroom Site Fund funding is based on prior year weighted count so your Classroom Site Fund calculation for next year will be based on this year’s weighted student count.

To get more details go to the detailed report from the JLBC at https://www.azleg.gov/jlbc/CSF-FY2022-033121.pdf

Two important items to consider when looking at the Classroom Site Fund information that we provided to you earlier.

First, remember that the student count used for school districts for the Classroom Site Fund is prior year count not current year count. So the weighted student count for Group A students for this year [FY 2021] is the student count that will be used for next year’s Classroom Site Fund [FY 2021].

Also, of the $733 per weighted student count number from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee [JLBC] they are saying “An increase of $192 per weighted pupil for accumulated one-time cash balances in the Classroom Site Fund due to higher-than-budgeted sales tax revenues during the pandemic.”

Therefore, $192 or 26% of the $733 should be treated as one-time money and should be used for one-tme expenses.

The JLBC report is available at https://www.azleg.gov/jlbc/CSF-FY2022-033121.pdf .