School Funding

   Despite the clear relationship between education and prosperity, spending per pupil barely rose as the nation struggled to recover from its economic doldrums.
   The Census Bureau said per-pupil spending averaged $10,700 nationwide in 2013, in a new study released June 2. That was an increase of 0.9 percent from the year before. New York State led the state rankings, spending $19,818, the government report said, followed by Alaska at $18,175, the District of Columbia at $17,953, and New Jersey at $17,572. Pennsylvania ranked tenth at $13,864.
   Trailing everyone was the state of Utah, spending $6,555 per pupil for the year.
   Among various school districts, Boston spent the most, $20,502, and New York City ranked second at $20,331. Further down the list, Baltimore spent $15,050 per pupil in 2013, and Philadelphia spent $12,271.

   All this gives new support to the position that education yields powerful leverage to building a more secure economy, for the benefit of all.
   The full report is available at the Census Bureau's web site, census.gov.