California Ranks 23rd In Per Pupil Spending

The Orange County Register (6/30, Martindale) reports that the US Census Bureau released financial data showing "California ranks 23rd among US states in per-pupil spending on public education, below the national average of $10,259." During the data based from the 2007-08 school year, California spent on average $9,863 per pupil. NEA statistics point to lower spending during the same period, though the difference is likely attributed to the use of different data sets. For 2008-09, NEA statistics show California spent $8,322 per student, placing the state in 43rd place. "The Census Bureau's rankings will likely reflect a similar trend when the 2008-09 rankings are released next year."