Compared with the statewide average, the Denver school district is top-heavy with administration.
In the 2016-17 school year, Denver had one administrator for every 7.5 instructional staff members, a category that includes teachers, librarians, nurses, and others. The statewide average was one administrator for every 11.3 instructional staff members.
Those figures are based on a Chalkbeat analysis of the most recent data available from the Colorado Department of Education.
While Denver Public Schools has always had more administrators than the statewide average, the data show the 93,000-student district has gotten more top-heavy over time.
One implication of having more administrators is financial. The more money a district spends on administrators, who tend to earn higher salaries, the less money it has to pay teachers.
Denver Public Schools is with the Denver teachers union. The stakes are high: The union has threatened to strike if an agreement isn’t reached by Jan. 18.
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