The Sahuarita Unified School District’s administrative costs “are significantly lower than the average for comparable districts,” but high transportation and plant costs meant that money available for the classrooms was far below average, according to an auditor general report.

“Because of high transportation and plant operation and maintenance costs, Sahuarita’s classroom dollar percentage was 49.2 per cent, well below the statewide average of 58.2 per cent,” said the recently released report.

The Sahuarita district has 1,977 students and serves an area south of Tucson. On its main campus, the district has a primary school that serves students in kindergarten through second grade, an elementary school serving students in third through fifth grade, a middle school and high school. It has a second elementary school that serves students through the fifth grade.

“One reason for the lower administrative costs is that the district has a higher ratio of students per administrative staff,” the reported continued. “Comparable districts employ an assistant superintendent or personnel director, but Sahuarita does not. In addition, two school principals split their time between school and administrative duties.”

According to the report, Sahuarita has per-pupil administrative costs of $655. The average for comparable districts is $790.

Food Program Loses Money

However, the district’s food service program is losing money because it does not charge enough for meals. The report says the program lost $56,757 in fiscal 2002.

While the district’s transportation program, which is operated by a vendor, appears efficient, the report says the district paid the vendor nearly $200,000 in overcharges.

“In both fiscal 2002 and 2003, the district did not adequately review the vendor’s billings, resulting in the district’s paying approximately $100,000 in overcharges each year,” said the report.

Plant costs are the highest of comparable districts at $1,041 per pupil, according to the report. The average is $756.

The district should develop and implement a district-wide energy conservation program, the report recommends. The district’s auditorium is a popular facility used by the district and the community, but “the entire facility’s heating and cooling system must be operated even when only the smaller meeting rooms are required.”

In response to the report, Jay C. St. John, the Sahuarita superintendent, said the district would analyze the food service program “to see whether the governing board is interested in passing on an increase in the cost of meals to parents of the district to cover the cost.”

Mr. St. John said the district was attempting to recover the overpayments to the transportation vendor and had turned the matter over to the district’s attorneys.

He added, “The district will correct the high transportation cost situation either with the current vendor, by changing vendors, or by returning the transportation program to the district.”

On energy conservation, Mr. St. John said, “The governing board is in the process of building a new administration building, which will include smaller meeting room facilities to make less use of the auditorium facilities. We have also asked our auditorium director to plan to combine scheduled uses of the auditorium facilities to the same day to maximize energy efficiency.”

In conclusion, Mr. St. John said, “ The district appreciates the auditor general’s report indicating that moving additional dollars into the classroom dollar percentage needs to be a district-wide effort. The district is experiencing a high rate of student growth. We feel that the plant operation and maintenance costs will go down as we will have a larger student base over which to spread those costs.” —