Report: Idaho remains next to last in per-pupil education spending

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Idaho once again ranks near the bottom in how much the state spends on public education per student.

According to a U.S. Department of Education report released last week, Idaho spent $7,178 per pupil in the 2015-16 school year, ahead of only Utah among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Utah spent just $7,000 per student.

Across the country, per-pupil spending came in on average at $11,841.

New York ranked Number 1 nationally, spending $22,231 per pupil.

The report, issued by the federal National Center for Education Statistics, also shows when adjusted for inflation, Idaho’s per-pupil spending climbed by 2.9 percent, slightly ahead of the national 2.8 percent increase.

Other findings show Idaho schools are more heavily dependent on state and federal dollars than their counterparts across the country. Local dollars account for only 24 percent of Idaho’s education spending, compared to 45 percent nationally.

Idaho spends about 80 percent of its education funding on employee salaries and benefits, mirroring the national average. (IdahoedNews.org)

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