Arkansas’ average amount spent on public school students during was below the national average, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported on May 11 that the national average amount of funds spent per student for public elementary and secondary education increased during the 2018 fiscal year by 3.4 percent. As reported by the Annual Survey of School System Finances, Arkansas’ spending was below average, sitting at $10,139 as opposed to the national average of $12,612.
Arkansas reported similar spending as its surrounding states, including Missouri and Texas, with the average spending in southern states was $10,285. In the southern region, the District of Columbia reported the highest spending at $22,759 per student, while the lowest was Oklahoma at $8,239. The southern region had the lowest spending per student compared to the rest of the nation. The highest amount of spending per student was reported from the northeast; New York had an average of $24,040 per pupil.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, this increase was due to an overall increase in revenue, as public elementary and secondary schools received $720.9 billion in 2018, as opposed to $694.3 billion the previous year. Arkansas individually allocated almost $2.2 million revenue to public school funding in the 2018 fiscal year, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
This is the sixth consecutive year U.S. school spending per student has increased.
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