Idaho Is Next To Last On Education Spending

Of the 50 states and the District of Columbia only Utah spends less on education than Idaho. A new report Tuesday from the U.S. Census Bureau says Idaho spent $6,824 for each student in its public schools in 2011. The National average is $10,560. New York tops the list spending $19,076.

But this report also reveals something we don’t often take into account. It’s what’s sometimes referred to as the effort a state makes to fund schools; how much of its personal income goes to education. There Idaho comes in higher at 42^nd. The state spends more than $36 on schools for every $1,000 the people of the state make. The national average is $42 per $1,000.

A state’s population and economy’s size can mean their total student spending and proportion of personal income spent can vary widely. Washington State for example spends a lot more per student than Idaho but less of its personal income goes to education. The District of Columbia is second on per pupil spending but last for percent of personal income spent.

Here’s a look at our region’s education spending in 2011.

• Idaho: $6,824 per pupil (50^th nationally) $36.57 per $1,000 of personal income (42^nd)
• Washington: $9,483 per pupil (30^th) $34.90 per $1,000 of personal income (46^th)
• Oregon: $9,682 per pupil (28^th) $40.13 per $1,000 of personal income (33^rd)
• Nevada: $8,527 per pupil (44^th) $37.86 per $1,000 of personal income (39^th)
• Utah: $6,212 per pupil (51^st) $38.00 per $1,000 of personal income (37^th)
• Wyoming: $15,849 per pupil (6^th) $54.58 per $1,000 of personal income (5^th)
• Montana: $10,639 per pupil (25^th) $44.16 per $1,000 of personal income (18^th)

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