Where does the money go?

As you can see below, most district costs are used to staff our schools with qualified, experienced teachers, administrators and support staff. For every dollar that Tahoma spends, approximately 90 cents goes toward staff and materials that benefit students. In addition to staff, Tahoma pays for additional services including transportation and food costs, and operational costs that keep our buildings safe, warm, dry and clean for students. "Materials, supplies and other operating costs" are sometimes referred to as MSOCS.

How has spending changed over time?

Certificated Employees: all employees with a teaching certificate. This includes: all classroom teachers, teaching specialists, counselors, principals, and the Superintendent.

Classified Employees: all employees without a teaching certificate. This includes: athletic coaches, bus drivers, bookkeepers, classroom paraeducators, custodians, the district business office, food services, operations, safety and security, school office staff, and technology.


MSOCS: stands for Materials, Supplies, and Other Operating Costs. This is an acronym used by Washington state school districts when referencing all non-payroll related expenditures (everything except for certificated employees, classified employees, payroll benefits, and taxes).

For more definitions, navigate to the "Glossary of Budget Terms" page in the menu.

This page will be updated periodically to reflect the latest information (last updated February 2024). If you have additional budget questions, please send us an email at TSDMessages@TahomaSD.US