NEA: NC is 42nd (not 49th) in per pupil spending

Posted on February 21, 2012 at 7:34 am, by

I have spent months countering the “49th in the nation myth,” a talking point manufactured by public school advocacy groups to attack the budget approved by the NC General Assembly last year.  At long last, the National Education Association (NEA) has released Rankings of the States 2011 and Estimates of School Statistics 2012, which should set the record straight.

According to the NEA study, North Carolina ranked 42nd in per pupil expenditure for the current (2011-2012) school year (see table below).

Interestingly, North Carolina’s 2011-2012 ranking (42nd) is higher than the state’s NEA rankings for the 2010-2011 (45th) and 2009-2010 (43rd) school years.  (See Rankings 2011 and Estimates 2012, pp. 54-55, 67)

For intellectually honest progressives, the latest NEA study should settle the question of where North Carolina ranks in per pupil spending.  However, I suspect that the myth will continue to be cited by Democrats and their enablers.

Jurisdiction

Per pupil expenditures

Rank
New York

$18,616

1
Vermont

$18,571

2
New Jersey

$18,486

3
Alaska

$17,540

4
Rhode Island

$16,683

5
Wyoming

$16,666

6
Maryland

$15,978

7
Maine

$15,836

8
Connecticut

$15,514

9
Massachusetts

$15,213

10
New Hampshire

$14,587

11
Delaware

$14,396

12
District of Columbia

$13,952

13
Pennsylvania

$13,904

14
Arkansas

$12,779

15
Michigan

$12,457

16
Minnesota

$12,377

17
Illinois

$12,368

18
Wisconsin

$12,178

19
Hawaii

$11,921

20
West Virginia

$11,748

21
Indiana

$11,577

22
Virginia

$11,192

23
New Mexico

$11,118

24
Oregon

$10,897

25
Nebraska

$10,877

26
Montana

$10,309

27
Georgia

$10,112

28
Washington

$10,098

29
Louisiana

$9,998

30
Ohio

$9,888

31
Missouri

$9,760

32
Colorado

$9,676

33
Kentucky

$9,636

34
California

$9,541

35
Kansas

$9,518

36
Iowa

$9,462

37
South Carolina

$9,260

38
South Dakota

$9,214

39
North Dakota

$9,169

40
Mississippi

$9,060

41
North Carolina

$8,565

42
Tennessee

$8,464

43
Alabama

$8,405

44
Idaho

$8,323

45
Oklahoma

$8,306

46
Texas

$8,265

47
Nevada

$8,247

48
Florida

$8,180

49
Utah

$6,849

50
Arizona

$6,683

51

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Source: National Education Association, “Rankings of the States 2011 and Estimates of School Statistics 2012,” December 2011, http://www.nea.org/home/32073.htm, p. 67. Note: I use the “fall enrollment” PPE figures, as recommended by NEA researchers.)

2 comments

  1. Why in the world would anyone boast that NC is 42nd and not 49th…this is still a horrible position! This organization should be ashamed of themselves for even posting these numbers – “OH YAY We are 42nd and not 49th!” DISGUSTING! NC is still at the bottom of the barrel! Makes me sick that an organization is boasting these dismal numbers!

    Comment by kristinaelanie on February 21, 2012 at 10:08 pm

  2. I have to agree with kristinaelanie…why would NC boast about ranking 42nd and not 49th? We’re still in the bottom 10! You’ve got to be kidding me! Even West Virginia and Mississippi, historically well-known poor states, rank higher than we do! If anything, legislators should be ashamed of this ranking! As an NC teacher, I am!

    Comment by ncteacher on February 22, 2012 at 6:25 am

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