The salaries of Colorado teachers are not increasing at the same rate as the budgets for school districts, according to a report released Wednesday.

The annual Dollars and Data Report from the Common Sense Institute found that, over the last 14 years, Colorado’s funding per student has increased by 47% while the average teacher salary has only risen by 27%.

Jason Gaulden, the report’s author, said this is because a greater proportion of school district spending is taking place outside of classrooms.

The share of funding being spent on instruction, including teacher salaries, decreased statewide from 45.4% in 2011 to 39.1% in 2021, while the share going toward operations and administration has increased.

Since 2000, the number of school administrators in Colorado increased by 132% and the number of principals increased by 73%, while the number of teachers increased by only 36%. Meanwhile, the number of public school students increased by only 25%, according to the report.

Gaulden said failing to allocate increasing district budgets to teachers hurts schools’ abilities to recruit and retain educators.

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In 2021-22, Colorado’s average teacher salary stood at $60,234, ranging from $62,700 in the Denver metro region to $41,365 in the Southeast region. The report found that school districts with higher salaries were less likely to experience turnover. Littleton, for example, offered an average salary of $73,196 and experienced a teacher turnover rate of 9.3%, compared to Clear Creek with an average salary of $50,510 and a 21.9% turnover rate.

“This analysis provides the facts about funding and achievement that should ground every education policy conversation and debate in which we engage,” Gaulden said. “Getting our K-12 education on track must be a priority. Without a quality education system, our students suffer, our workforce is unprepared and our economy is at risk.”

The report also found that the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to damper student enrollment, with Colorado’s K-12 enrollment falling by 1,174 students in the 2021-22 school year. The year before saw a plunge of almost 22,000 students. Before 2021, K-12 enrollment had increased every year since 2012.

Preschool enrollment increased by 4,500 students in 2021-22 after falling by 8,000 students the previous year.

Student achievement, meanwhile, is similarly lagging, according to the report.

This year, 40.7% of third grade students are proficient in reading and 39.4% are proficient in math. The figures are down from 41.3% and 41.0%, respectively, in 2019, but slightly above 2018 proficiency rates.

CSI is a nonpartisan organization, but its posture doesn’t mean value free. The group’s work is guided by several principles, notably free market and economic vitality.   

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