The Beacon Report has a few key items on children and education as they start another school year in Tennessee.

As children around the state begin another school year, the Beacon Center has launched a website that gives taxpayers across the state an opportunity to see how their tax dollars are being spent locally on education. The website features the spending data of every school district in the state.

MySchoolSpending.org is a customizable tool that allows Tennesseans to look into how their specific school district spends money. By typing in their ZIP Code, or choosing a local school district with a drop down menu, taxpayers can determine whether their investment is being spent wisely.

Some of the statistics taxpayers can see for each school district include total spending per child, percentage of money spent in the classroom, and the growth in administrative costs. For instance, taxpayers spend $9.3 billion each year on education statewide. Of that amount, just 54 percent makes it into the classroom. The data comes directly from the state Department of Education, but is provided in a more easy-to-understand visual format.

Beacon CEO Justin Owen noted, "This is a great tool for parents and taxpayers alike to see how efficiently local school districts are spending their hard-earned tax dollars. Many school districts are spending excessive amounts of money on administrative costs, leaving fewer dollars available to educate our children. Taxpayers deserve to have this information at their fingertips so they can hold their local officials accountable."