The NEA (National Education Association) recently released its annual per pupil expenditure rankings. A quick review shows that North Carolina moved from the 47th ranking in 2010-2011 to the 42nd ranking in 2011-2012. At first glance, this would seem to be reason for celebration. However, a more detailed review tells a different story. North Carolina’s actual per pupil expenditure fell from $8,763 per pupil in 2010-11 to a projected $8,565 this year. While $198 less per pupil may not seem like much to get concerned about, when you do the math, you see that it could mean over $293 million more for K-12 education than is invested today.
One could ask “How can North Carolina move ahead in rank and spend $198 less in per pupil expenditures than the previous year?” This requires a look at the other states which have moved up and down and fallen in and out of the bottom ten lowest ranking states in the nation over the past five years. The answer to the question is other states have fallen lower and faster than North Carolina has this year.
It should not be lost on anyone that North Carolina’s higher ranking came because numerous other states made more arduous cuts to education than we have. The continued placement of North Carolina in the bottom ten ranking states in the nation for per pupil expenditures for education shows that our State continues to be a lower-investment state when it comes to K-12 education.
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