Wilson Budgets $50,000 Grants to Public Schools : School Spending

Gov. Pete Wilson’s plan to award $50,000 to each of Orange County’s 509 schools would add about $25.5 million for spending on anything but salaries. Here’s how Orange County’s schools spent their combined $1.738 billion on average in 1994-95, the most recent year available; percentages rounded:

Category: Percent

Teacher salaries: 45%

Classified salaries: 16%

Employee benefits: 17%

Services/operating expenses: 8%

Other certificated salaries: 7%

Books/supplies: 3%

Other: 4%*

* Includes capital outlays

Note: Certificated salaries are those paid to anyone needing a certificate to hold a position, such as administrators, librarians, etc. Teachers are also certificated. Classified salaries are all other positions such as clerical, food service, maintenance, etc.

Source: Orange County Department of Education