New York state public schools spent $29,284 per student in “recurring expenditures” in fiscal year 2022, officials announced. report The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics made the announcement this week.
According to NCES, “Current expenditures include expenditures for the day-to-day operations of schools and school districts for public elementary and secondary education, including expenditures for staff salaries and benefits, supplies, and purchased services.” It is said that(Related article: Burgess Owens slams school leaders over incident in which Jewish teacher was forced to hide behind closed doors)
“General and administrative expenses and school management expenses are also included in ordinary expenses.”
New York State spent $29,284 per student on these items, more than any other state. So what did taxpayers get in return for this investment?
Not so much.
On the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress math test, only 28% of New York state public school eighth graders scored proficient or above. Only 32% scored proficient or better in reading comprehension.
In the capital, Washington, D.C., on NCES’ list of states, “recurring spending” per public school student was $28,128. This was more than any other state except New York.
So how did students perform in Washington public schools? Only 16% of Washington public school eighth-graders achieved proficiency or above in math. Only 22% scored proficient or better in reading comprehension.
After Washington state, New Jersey spent the most per student in public schools in 2022, at $25,550.
Students there performed slightly better in reading and math than students in New York or the District of Columbia. But they didn’t have great results. Only 33% of her 8th graders in New Jersey were proficient or better in math, and 42% were proficient or better in reading.
Vermont, represented by Sen. Bernie Sanders, finished just behind New Jersey in per-pupil spending for public schools. It cost him $25,073.
It also ranked second only to New Jersey in NAEP test scores. Only 27% of her eighth graders in Vermont public schools scored at or above proficiency in math, and only 34% scored at or above proficiency in reading.
Another New England state, Connecticut, ranked fifth in per-pupil spending, behind New York, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and Vermont. Each student spent $23,868. Only 30% of eighth-graders scored proficient or better in math, and only 35% scored proficient in reading.
When the 50 states were ranked by per-pupil spending, three other New England states followed suit. Massachusetts spent $22,778. Rhode Island spent $20,498. and New Hampshire spent $20,424.
However, only 35% of Massachusetts public school eighth-graders achieved proficiency or above in math. And only 40% scored proficient or better in reading comprehension. In Rhode Island, only 24% of her eighth graders achieved proficiency or above in math. And only 31% scored proficient or better in reading comprehension. In New Hampshire, only 29% scored proficient or better in math. And only 33% scored proficient or better in reading comprehension.
If the state spent less money per student in public schools, would results have improved significantly?
Utah spent $9,496 per student on public schools in fiscal year 2022. This was lower than any other state. Among eighth graders, only 35% of students scored at or above proficiency in math, and only 36% of students scored at or above proficiency in reading.
Similarly, Idaho finished second-to-last in per-pupil spending for public schools, paying $9,662. Only 32% of her 8th grade students scored at or above proficiency in math, and only 32% of her students scored at or above proficiency in reading.
As I have previously noted in this column, students in Catholic schools perform better on NAEP tests than students in public schools. In 2022, the average math test score for her 8th grade students at Catholic school was 288, while the average score for her 8th grade students at public school was 273. Similarly, the average reading test score for eighth graders in Catholic schools was 279. Meanwhile, the average score for 8th graders in public schools was 259.
The average tuition at Catholic elementary schools in 2023 was $4,840, according to U.S. News & World Report. The average tuition fee for Catholic high schools was $11,240.
DeMatha Catholic High School, located in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., says tuition will be $22,700 next school year, according to its website. That’s $5,428 less than the $28,128 the District of Columbia public schools spent per student in 2022.
Parents in the District of Columbia and every other community in this country should not be forced to send their children to government-run schools. All parents are given a voucher equal to their local public school’s per-pupil expenditure and are free to redeem the voucher at any school of their choice, whether public or private, religious or secular. Should.
Terrence P. Jeffrey is an investigative editor at the Daily Caller News Foundation. To learn more about Terrence P. Jeffrey and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit his Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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