School districts are spending bigger chunks of their budgets on staff benefits (not including salaries), finds a new study by the education group Bellwether Education Partners.
The report, which analyzes the 10 most recent years of district finance data from the U.S. Department of Education, finds from 2005 to 2014, instructional spending nationwide increased by 2.6 percent, while spending on benefits for instructional staff members grew by 24 percent.