Topeka ? More than 70 percent of increased spending by school districts in recent years went toward student instruction, a new audit says.

The audit was done at the request of lawmakers who asked how school districts spent funding increases that were approved by the Legislature after 2005, when the Kansas Supreme Court ordered more dollars for schools.

Overall, school districts spent nearly $630 million more in 2006-07 than in 2004-05, the report by the Legislative Division of Post Audit said.

Of this total, $448 million was on student instruction, which includes teacher pay raises, hiring additional staff and an increase in benefits. Districts also spent more than $100 million on special education.

Statewide, the average teacher’s annual salary, including benefits, increased from $44,436 to $49,341, an 11 percent increase. Expenditures increased 17 percent for support services and 12 percent for school- and district-level administration, the report said.

Lawrence school Supt. Randy Weseman said the state statistics were pretty much in line with Lawrence’s experience.

“Some money went to implement full-day kindergarten, some to teacher salaries. It’s pretty black and white,” he said.

While praising the accuracy of the report, the Legislative Post Audit Committee didn’t accept it, wanting auditors to include other costs in the final tally of school finance increases, such as the state’s contribution to teacher pensions.