“’It’s absolutely correct to say that overall spending is up,’ [KASB’s Mark] Tallman said. “
‘In terms of total dollars, that’s correct. Why districts, though, are still feeling the pinch is because none of that is what allows you to pay salaries or hire teachers or add programs for kids or deal with operating costs.’
“Tallman also noted that the increased contributions to the pension fund have driven the total dollar increase.
“’That’s why I think both sides, if you want to put it that way, are telling the truth. If your argument is we’re spending more money than ever, that’s true. If your argument is we’re not spending more money, we’re really spending less money on current daily operations, that’s also true,’ Tallman said.”

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