OAKLAND COUNTY - WHERE DID THE SALARY DOLLARS GO?

[Shadowninja]

WHERE DID THE SALARY DOLLARS GO?: OAKLAND COUNTY

After looking at 15 districts across Michigan, and then at the statewide numbers, several readers asked me to bring the same ledger to Oakland County.

So I did.

Using the same NCES F-33 data, same FY2015–FY2023 period, and same calculation, I compared all 27 qualifying Oakland County school districts.

For each district, I looked at the change in:

🔵 Teacher salary spending per pupil

🟣 Administrative salary spending per pupil

🟢🔴 The percentage-point gap between the two

The results are why this needed two graphics.

In 15 of 27 districts, administrative salary spending per pupil grew faster than teacher salary spending per pupil.
But this is not a one-direction story.

In the other 12 districts, teachers came out ahead — sometimes substantially. Berkley, Madison District, Avondale, South Lyon and others all show teacher salary spending growing faster than administrative salary spending.
And at the opposite end?

Hazel Park: +72.4-point administration gap.

Pontiac: +56.8 points.

Oak Park: +36.4 points.

That range may be the most interesting part of the entire ledger.

Same county. Same years. Same federal dataset. Same math.

Very different results.

And a reminder: these figures measure salary spending by function per pupil. They do not mean individual teachers or administrators personally received raises of these percentages.

The numbers don't tell us why the districts traveled such different paths.

They do tell us which districts might be worth opening another ledger on. 👑📜

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, FY2015 & FY2023

#LadyBudgetdown #WithReceiptsAndRespect #OaklandCounty #OaklandCountySchools #TeacherPay #TeacherSalaries #SchoolAdministration #MichiganSchools #MichiganEducation #SchoolFinance #PublicEducation #FiscalTransparency #EducationTransparency #FollowTheMoney #FollowTheLedger #WhereDidTheMoneyGo