K-12 education budget keeps pace with inflation, enrollment

Is the recently approved K-12 education budget inadequate?  Let’s look at the facts.

The consensus forecast of inflation from the governor’s budget is 1.5 percent for the coming fiscal year. (p. xvi)

According to year-to-year Allotted Average Daily Membership figures produced by the NC Department of Public Instruction, enrollment growth has averaged half a percent a year over the past five years.

Taken together, any education-budget growth over 2 percent is likely to translate into higher inflation-adjusted, per-pupil expenditure.  Overall, the change in education appropriations from the 2012-13 enacted budget to the 2013-14 conference budget is 3.61 percent.  For K-12 education only, the increase is 4.81 percent.