Accountability: Fiscal and Curricular
Fiscal Accountability
DVUSD schools are part of the state of Arizona's public school system. Arizona’s public schools are funded through the state’s general fund, and the Arizona Department of Education facilitates grants and funding that support schools at both the state and federal level. The combination of state and federal tax dollars is closely monitored by the Arizona Auditor General, which releases annual reports on how this money is spent in the state and in each school district.
You can see how every penny of DVUSD's budget is spent, including classroom spending, non-classroom spending, and per-student spending. This dashboard allows you to compare DVUSD to other similar-sized districts in the state, as well as overall state spending. The dashboard also showcases DVUSD's average teacher salaries, teacher to student ratios, and student achievement.
DVUSD's accounting is also detailed on our website in the Budget 411 section. This section is regularly updated with average teacher salaries, proposed upcoming budgets, and the current budget and annual financial report.
Parents and community members can see where public school budget funding is coming from and where it is allocated to be spent. This is not always the case with private or charter schools, as taxpayer-funded Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) fund student enrollment, but often also fund bizarre purchases by families that don't need financial help. The current state of ESA access has also led to a spike in ESA fraud, the depths of which is not yet known. If you write a check for private or charter school costs, there's no guarantee that money will go directly to your child's education.
Curricular Accountability
In addition to fiscal responsibility, DVUSD schools are held to high standards for academic excellence.
This is reflected in numerous ways, including the Arizona Board of Education's A-F letter grade reporting, accolades such as the Arizona Education Foundation's A+ Schools of Excellence, and in ensuring our students meet or exceed state assessment guidelines in subjects such as math, English Language Arts (ELA), and science.
DVUSD continuously assesses teacher instruction and student learning through internal data gathering, state achievement testing, and PSAT testing. Curriculum for all coursework is routinely reviewed with assistance from the community, and is approved by our governing board.
In addition to improving the classroom experience through student, teacher, and curriculum review, DVUSD initiates annual goals through our superintendent's goals. DVUSD also looks ahead every five years with our strategic plan, as our current plan sets goals for the district through 2028.
Through this assessment and goal setting, DVUSD keeps its focus on our district's vision of graduating lifelong learners who will successfully compete, lead, and positively impact the world. Student success is our primary goal, both in the classroom and after graduation. Increasing personal or corporate wealth of a private school founder or franchisee is never part of what we do.