New data suggests education spending per student remains below pre-recession levels in about two-thirds of all states—including Louisiana, where spending has declined 3.6% at elementary and secondary public schools between fiscal years 2008 and 2013.
The figures, adjusted for inflation, come from a new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau numbers by Governing, which reports spending per student across the U.S. has declined by an average of 4.6% over the six-year span.
As of fiscal year 2013, the figures show Louisiana was spending $10,490 per student, down from $10,880 in fiscal year 2008. However, increases in spending between 2008 and 2012—when spending was $11,569 per student—put the decline between 2012 and 2013 among the highest in the country.
“Per-pupil spending climbed in all but 14 states between fiscal years 2012 and 2013. Most didn’t experience significant changes, although spending did drop by nearly 8% in Louisiana and climbed about 6% in Utah,” Governing reports.
The magazine reports a close look at the data suggests that districts in most states have not fully recovered from the effects of the recession. In Georgia, per-pupil public education spending has dipped year after year, declining 15% since 2008, more than any other state. Other states with large cuts included Arizona, California and Florida, all of which sustained major losses from the bursting of the housing bubble.
“Some states responded to the crisis with a balanced approach that included spending cuts and revenue increases,” said the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ Michael Leachman. “Other states responded with just a spending cut.”
Louisiana’s spending per student as of 2013 ranked No. 25 among all states, the data shows. Just how much is spent per student varies widely across states. According to the Census data, New York spent $19,818 per student in fiscal 2013, more than any other state. Alaska, New Jersey and the District of Columbia reported similarly high totals. On the opposite end of the spectrum were states like Utah ($6,555 per student), Idaho ($6,791) and Arizona ($7,208).
Read the full story and see an infographic of spending per student in each state.
