Florida gets a decent bang for its buck when it comes to education spending, according to a review of U.S. Census data by a watchdog group.
Despite being ranked 42nd out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in per pupil spending for elementary and secondary education, the Sunshine State gets good marks for its K-12 system, according to FloridaWatchdog.org. In 2011, the state spent $8,887 per student, well below the national average of $10,560. Yet Education Week, a national research nonprofit, ranked Florida sixth in education quality and student progress last year. It got a failing grade in one category: per pupil spending, an indication that Education Week seems to equate dollars and results.
By comparison, the District of Columbia spent more than twice as much per student as Florida yet has one of the worst educational rankings in the country.New Jersey,Connecticut,Alaska,WyomingandUtahalso spent double the Sunshine State while showing lesser results.
“What matters most is not how much we spend, but how we spend the dollars we allocate,” former Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewartsaid earlier this year in a conference call to reporters. “High per pupil expenditures does not automatically produce high-achieving pupils.”
Click for more at FloridaWatchdog.org
Via: Fox News
